Goodbye, Steve.

E from Alien has been writing about Steve Irwin, who---as I'm sure you all know by now---passed away tragically over the weekend.

My brother and I used to watch "Crocodile Hunter" together. Yes, we were probably drawn in at first by Irwin's crazed Australianness. But we very quickly saw beyond that. His larger-than-life personality could not mask Irwin's sincere love for animals and mother nature. Irwin may have been a stereotype of himself---his signature outfit and shaggy haircut, not to mention an abundance of bizarre-sounding (to North Americans) expressions---but he was also, and more importantly, deeply devoted to the misunderstood creatures he "hunted" on each episode. It was his fundamental humanity that drew us back to the show again and again. Heck, it even took me away from my thesis research, and you know how I love researching Siberia.

So, here's to Steve Irwin. You will be truly missed and fondly remembered.