Latest news with #BobIrwin
1News
a day ago
- Politics
- 1News
Crocodile Hunter's dad fires up over culling proposal
The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has hit out at calls for the large reptiles to be culled in popular waterways, describing it as pointless. Bob Irwin took aim at proposed Queensland laws that would result in crocodiles found in populated sites being killed or relocated. Katter's Australian Party put forward the bill under a long-running campaign to enhance crocodile control laws, claiming numbers had "exploded" in the state's north. Queensland's Liberal National government said it would consider the findings of a parliamentary hearing into the bill and decide whether it was "fit for purpose". Bob Irwin says killing or removing crocodiles is not the answer. ADVERTISEMENT "Culling crocodiles is a pointless exercise, absolutely pointless," he told the hearing today. Terri Irwin and Bob Irwin accept a posthumous honorary professorship from the University of Queensland on behalf of the late Steve Irwin in 2007. (Source: Getty) The Katter party renewed calls for crocodile control after a failed bid under the former Labor government. The bill would allow crocodile culls and safari-style hunting trips, amid claims more than 1200 crocodiles had been spotted in 2023 compared to 126 in 2010. Bob Irwin said if a large crocodile that protected a territory was removed or killed, a "juvenile delinquent" moved in and took over. "You're never going to be able to say to the general public you can swim in that river now, because you won't ever know that there are crocodiles still there," he told the hearing. Bob Irwin helped found Australia Zoo where his son grew up and developed a passion for wildlife, later becoming the world famous Crocodile Hunter before the livewire conservationist's tragic 2006 death. ADVERTISEMENT His daughter-in-law Terri Irwin had earlier echoed his concerns in a submission to the committee, saying the proposed laws would increase the likelihood of croc attacks due to a false sense of security in culled areas. A freshwater Crocodile pictured in Queensland, Australia. (Source: Getty) The Queensland environment department's deputy director general said education was paramount in preventing crocodile attacks, not culling. "No amount of crocodile removal can guarantee the absence of crocodiles in a waterway, nor can it assure that an area is completely safe to swim," Ben Klaassen told the committee today. Some community members threw their support behind the bill, with one group suggesting Aboriginal people should assist crocodile culls. Murrandoo Yanner won a landmark 1999 High Court case that ruled Aboriginal people could hunt crocodiles. He said Aboriginal people in Queensland's Gulf Country were hunting crocodiles and maintaining the population, so there was "no greater group" to aid a pilot culling programme. ADVERTISEMENT "We hunt and eat them, but we're not in that camp that we just want to totally cull them," the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation stakeholder officer told the committee. "But we also know they're of great cultural significance, and they're in good numbers here, so we manage them very well." Recent estimates reveal there are around 20,000 to 30,000 crocodiles across northern Queensland. Yanner hoped to work with the state government, advising how to cull crocodiles without eradicating the species. Two councils in the state's north, Mareeba and Whitsundays, also want the bill become a reality, saying there was a risk to residents and tourists. Mareeba Shire Council deputy mayor Lenore Wyatt said dozens of saltwater crocs in eastern waterways were not native after some escaped from a nearby farm in the 1990s. The area is already zoned to allow the removal of crocodiles, but the council wanted a faster process, saying a farmer had a reptile in his dam for more than six months. ADVERTISEMENT The committee report is due in August.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Steve Irwin's father delivers brutal message to Bob Katter as feud over crocodile cull boils over: 'He's not listening'
The father of Steve Irwin has joined his estranged family to slam Bob Katter and his calls to cull crocodiles. Bob Irwin Senior came out swinging on Wednesday to label the outspoken MP a 'd***head'. Katter's Australian Party (KAP) introduced the Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill 2025 in February to the Queensland Government. The aim of the proposed law is to 'eliminate crocodiles which pose a threat to human life' while protecting them from going extinct. The move has prompted outrage from the Irwin family with Bob the latest member to publicly share his opposition to it. 'He's not listening to the people that know. He has no idea of how the environment works and that's his problem,' the Australia Zoo founder told The Courier Mail. Bob had spoken at state parliament earlier in the day against the legislation. 'Steve and I have learnt from the word go that if you want to be successful with anything you want to do with crocodiles, you've got to get inside their head figuratively,' he said. 'So we spent a lot of time doing nothing else but observing what crocodiles do.' Bob added there have been previous situations where someone calls for the culling of crocodiles, but said people did not listen to researchers and scientists. Katter's son and KAP leader Robbie defended the bill while taking aim at the Irwin family. He claimed they were 'entertainers' with little understanding of regional communities' fears. He also told state parliament his father's knowledge came from speaking to his constituents in north Queensland. Although estranged from his son's wife and children, Bob's statements echoed that of Terri, who submitted a letter to the government criticising the proposed law. His daughter-in-law described the bill as 'more dangerous than previous efforts' to argue in favour of culling crocodile populations. 'It is such a lazy and sloppy attempt to recycle old draft legislation,' Terri said. In issuing her comments, Terri came under fire from Katter on Friday. 'How would you know all about crocodiles if you live in Brisbane?' he said in a video published to Facebook. 'Oh that's right, she's got them all locked up in a cage in Brisbane.' KAP MP for Hill Shane Knuth, who submitted the bill, joined the pile-on. 'The Irwin's built a multimillion dollar business off the back of crocodiles,' he wrote on social media. 'And now they're lecturing North Queenslanders on how to enjoy our recreational waterways while they're infested with crocs - and getting worse. 'Spare us the patronising 'Crocwise' slogans. We don't need a zoo telling us how to survive in our own backyard.' The Irwin family feud began 13 years ago when Bob quit Australia Zoo because he was concerned the wildlife park he'd founded in 1970 was becoming a 'circus'. Various reports from the time of Bob's exit claim he was worried the Sunshine Coast tourist attraction was becoming 'too commercial - and even feared a then nine-year-old Bindi was being pushed into child stardom. When Bob left the zoo for good in 2008 - two years after the death of his famous son - Terri was said to be planning a five-year expansion 'to make it Australia's peak tourist destination with a Disneyland feel'.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Travelling Aussie influencers delete video of 'abhorrent' koala trick after backlash
A couple travelling around Australia have pulled down a controversial guide on how to coax koalas down from trees and take selfies with them. Their decision to delete the video came after the nation's largest rescue group called it 'abhorrent' and warned anyone copying their behaviour risked severe injury. The NSW-based travellers advertised their DIY six-step video as a "foolproof process" to avoid expensive wildlife parks. It shows the man using his "secret" trick to encourage a koala high in a tree down to the ground, and his partner then petting it and posing for selfies. The couple behind the stunt told Yahoo News they "were just playing around". In Victoria where the video was filmed, interfering with a koala without a permit can carry a fine of up to $46,154 and/or two years in jail. Unlike tame animals in wildlife parks, forcing close encounters with their wild cousins can cause stress even if it's not immediately apparent. After watching the video, the Conservation Regulator, which sits within the Department of Environment, said, 'We need to let wildlife be wild. Disrupting the natural behaviour of wildlife can contribute to them losing their fear of humans or becoming dependent on humans for food. It can also be dangerous for koalas to be down on the ground where they are at risk of injury.' Videos featuring humans interacting with wildlife can be harmful to everyone involved. This was highlighted in a 2022 viral video that showed a well-meaning Gold Coast woman being attacked by a koala after she tried to move it from a motorway. A year later, tourists were discovered feeding a koala leaves prompting local experts to warn, 'They may look cute and cuddly, but they have sharp teeth that are like a vice. And the claws are like razor blades.' For wildlife advocates, it's an issue that extends well beyond fluffy marsupials. Conservationist Bob Irwin has been a vocal supporter of tough penalties for people who take risks while taking selfies with crocodiles. In Queensland, wildlife cowboys have filmed themselves trying to emulate his late son, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, by picking up Australia's deadliest land snake species. The video begins with the couple locating the koala in the Otways, in Southern Victoria. A man then uses his 'secret' trick to coax the koala down. It warns viewers to stand by in case of attack and then shows a woman gaining 'close contact' and petting the animal. Yahoo News has opted not to describe the method used in the video, as it can induce stress in koalas. One of the travellers who uploaded the clip said he was surprised by the attention, and the close encounter was unexpected, as they were just experimenting with different methods to 'get the koalas' attention'. 'They'd turn their heads… and then this one just started coming down the tree, which was a big surprise,' he said. At least three experts were familiar with the specific methods used to engage with the wild koala, saying it was only ever used as a last resort to capture sick or injured animals. The video was removed after Yahoo News advised the couple of the concerns raised by WIRES. Koalas are not as dangerous as venomous snakes or crocodiles, but like kangaroos, they are able to inflict devastating wounds. And that's a key reason Dr Tania Bishop, the head vet at WIRES animal rescue service, was troubled by the influencer couple's video. 'It's step one, step two, step three. It looks very much like they're trying to show people a method of summoning a wild koala and to me, that's the most horrifying thing. Why would you post something like that?' she said. Bishop still carries scars from a koala bite in the muscle of her right hand, and she's seen members of the public also wounded. 'What looks like them reaching up for help is actually them preparing to do a big swipe. They see us as natural predators, they're frightened of us, and that's what worries me when I see videos like this,' she said. There's one particular moment in the clip, when Bishop believes the woman risked being scalped by the koala. 'When she's taking a selfie, if that koala was frightened of her being in its way and in its territory,... there's every reason it could have dug her teeth or claws into her head.' 🪴 Aussie woman watches as garden ruined by rare intruders 🚨 Unprecedented bird flu shift leaves experts 'deeply concerned' 📸 Aussie animal not seen in 60 years filmed in creek Koalas usually only approach people if they are injured and in need of help, or have been raised in human care and are struggling to adjust to the wild. Concerns about the conduct in the video were first raised by Queensland-based wildlife biologist Ellie Sursara. She'd received several messages from koala rescuers around Australia, worried about the welfare of the animal it featured. 'It's symptomatic of the climate right now for wildlife and travel Instagram content, and whether or not the boundaries are being pushed purposefully for the views, and I think they are,' Susara said. 'There's a real lack of accountability for that kind of content. They're not often reported or even looked at properly by Meta (Instagram's parent account), so they're just floating out there. And there are a lot of creators who gain lots of followers from videos like this, so it makes sense there are copycats.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Associated Press
04-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Empower Enters a New Era of Advancement and Partnerships
HOUSTON, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Empower, a leader in the compounding pharmacy and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries, is excited to announce the launch of its refreshed corporate logo, marking a significant step in the company's evolution as a unified and forward-thinking organization. This change comes as part of Empower's commitment to shaping the future of healthcare while staying true to its core mission of making quality, affordable healthcare accessible to all. As part of this transformation, we are unifying our 503A compounding pharmacy and 503B outsourcing facilities under a single brand. This evolution ensures that patients, providers, and pharmacies benefit from our unified formulary and enhanced focus on delivering the highest quality medications seamlessly across all channels. 'This change is about more than just a logo—it's a declaration of who we are and where we're heading,' said Shaun Noorian, founder and CEO. 'We believe this evolution will reflect our ambitions and inspire our stakeholders as we work together to transform the future of healthcare.' The updated branding positions Empower to pursue expanded opportunities and partnerships while reinforcing its commitment to delivering positive change. By unifying its identity, Empower bets on strengthening its connection with customers, providers, and the industry. It also amplifies its mission to enable healthier, happier lives while revolutionizing the accessibility of medicine. 'Empower is leading the change in the industry. We are not afraid of change; in fact, we embrace it as a catalyst for growth and chase the relentless pursuit of health equity,' said Bob Irwin, President. In 2025 and beyond, the network enterprise will continue to expand its geographic footprint, enhancing manufacturing capabilities and making substantial investments in its workforce. About Empower At Empower, we believe healthcare should be personal, affordable, and accessible to everyone. We take our responsibility to patients, providers, and caregivers seriously, striving to deliver solutions that address unique challenges. We are driven by a passion for bringing hope, healing, and a brighter future to the communities we serve. Since 2009, Empower has been guided by this mission. Headquartered in Houston, TX, we are proud to be the nation's largest 503A compounding pharmacy with the ability to ship nationwide, alongside our premier FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities in Texas and New Jersey. Our 380,000-square-foot manufacturing space and team of over 1,100 employees reflect our unwavering commitment to quality, affordability, and exceptional customer service. We believe that meaningful change happens through collaboration, both within our team and with our partners. By working together and continuously improving, we can advance health outcomes, build trust, and create a healthier, happier tomorrow. At Empower, we're not just delivering care—we're creating a legacy of service, integrity, and compassion that impacts lives for generations to come.
