Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty People Aren’t Having PETA’s Criticisms Of Steve Irwin Animal rights organization PETA is facing backlash once again, this time for criticizing Google and their decision to honor the late Australian conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin with his own Google Doodle. He was known as “The Crocodile Hunter,” but Steve Irwin wasn't exactly hunting crocodiles… he was saving them . He & his wife spent their honeymoon capturing crocodiles & the footage they shot became the pilot for #TheCrocodileHunter ! #GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/z8PPgDaXfr pic.twitter.com/9BXTXP8bk3 — Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) February 22, 2019 PETA President Ingrid Newkirk issued in a statement about why the organization doesn’t approve of the tribute, saying: “PETA must ask who commissioned these dangerous, hagiographic cartoons of a man who died while harassing a stingray, dangled his baby while feeding a crocodile, and ‘wrestled’ wild animals who were minding their own business. This fawning, ignorant tribute is a slap in the face to the vast majority of people who acknowledge that wild animals are entitled to be left alone in their natural habitats.” They went on to tweet that Irwin’s actions were not on target with his “supposed message of protecting wildlife.” Steve Irwin’s actions were not on target with his supposed message of protecting wildlife. A real wildlife expert & someone who respects animals for the individuals they are leaves them to their own business in their natural homes. — PETA (@peta) February 23, 2019 Just like any time PETA does anything, people immediately started to go in on the organization not only for criticizing a dead man, but someone we all love and respect so much from our childhoods. the thing is… you as a company don’t actually give a fuck about any of what you’re saying about Steve Irwin. You knew that by dragging a beloved dead man’s name through the mud, you’d get more eyes and clicks on your brand. Ya know what you’re doing. Rage marketing works. — Ryan Magee (@elirymagee) February 23, 2019 Steve Irwin and his family reclaim land for animals and run a massive wildlife rescue. His life mission was to save animals and educate people about them. I’m one of many vegetarians who rip out their hair when @peta weighs in. Shame on you. https://t.co/m4fdNymjao — Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) February 23, 2019 Damn Peta loves disparaging the dead for RTs https://t.co/FlbIvGhXuB — Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) February 23, 2019 Basically everyone after seeing Peta's tweet about Steve Irwin pic.twitter.com/7nfZqbDjVt — Chase #HereWeGo (@ChaseM105) February 22, 2019 Man… I’ve never seen this website mobilize across cultural and political barriers before… until PETA came at Steve Irwin…. that dude really could’ve saved the world. Uniting twitter posthumously is God like. — Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) February 23, 2019 Criticizing PETA always seems to bring people together–especially when they’re going against the one-and-only Steve Irwin. As many people pointed out, Irwin’s family continues to do a lot for wildlife preservation, while those same statistics aren’t really on PETA’s side. Steve Irwin died on September 4, 2006 after being stung several times by a short-tail stingray–and even 13 years later, he’s still making an impact.
Read more here:
Crikey, Mate: PETA Gets Obliterated On Twitter For Criticizing Steve Irwin On His Birthday