Like Father, Like Daughter

No, this is not, to my knowledge, the child of Steve Irwin that he, the Croc hunter, dangled over the gaping, toothed, gnashing maw of a live crocodile. This is the one he fed to the sharks. Just kidding. That’s irreverent. Even if he was a bit kooky and put himself in danger with perhaps predictable results, we loved Steve Irwin. The Aussies sure have a way of exporting interesting characters, even if their stars fade quickly. Or they die. And it looks like we may have another Aussie star on our hands, and this one from the loins of the croc man himself.

Yes, Bindi Irwin, the eight-year-old daughter of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, is set to star in her own series on the Discovery Kids Network, beginning early next year. You read that correctly. Eight years old. The new show is to be called “Bindi, The Jungle Girl”, and was originally supposed to star both father and daughter. In fact, the Discovery Kids Network had begun filming episodes before Irwin’s September 4 death by stingray stab. In a creepy turn of events that I am not sure the producers have really considered how creepy this is, and which if I were she would cause me all sorts of awful emotional problems, Irwin will continue to play a role in the series posthumously, appearing in scenes filmed together with his daughter before his death.

Treat a Stingray Sting

From the good folks at Wikihow, we have an interesting little treat for those intrepid Gadlingers out there who fancy scuba diving (raise your hands…I know you’re out there. I’m certified). In the wake of Steve “Croc Guy” Irwin’s horrible death at the tail of a stingray, Wikihow helps us understand how we might deal with a stingray strike should we ever be unfortunate enough to have one of them lash out at you. Their advice. Well, it starts off pretty simple. “Relax” they say. But this makes sense.

They inform us that stingray stings are rarely fatal. They are caused by the sharp barb that is on the stingray’s tail and that transmits a protein-based venom which causes extreme pain. The more you scream and cry and dance around in a panicked state, the more likely that venom is to make its way around your body. So sit still and “oak the affected limb in the hottest water tolerable for at least an hour”. Then seek some help if you’re able. An interesting note: vinegar, urine, orange juice, ki-ora or any other liquid besides almost-scalding hot water will NOT be effective against stingray venom. So you can forgo having your friend take a p*s on your leg or affected appendage. See how helpful that is?!