Celebrated ecologist Dr David Suzuki has expressed regret that he will not be able to meet the Croc Hunter Steve Irwin during his current lecture tour of Australia.
Dr Suzuki, who will be at the CDU Casuarina campus next week, was scheduled to meet Irwin, who died of a stingray attack, next month.
Writing his weekly Canadian newspaper column syndicated across the country, Dr Suzuki said he had a great deal of respect for Steve Irwin’s work with animals.
“He became famous, not for showing the world the cutest and cuddliest of creatures, but for highlighting those that terrify us most – crocodiles, snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlies,” Dr Suzuki said.
“Sadly, my meeting with him will not take place and I will miss out on spending time with someone for whom I feel a great deal of kinship and respect.
“Steve Irwin helped us understand those things that many people thought were a nuisance at best, a horror at worst. That made him a great educator and conservationist."
Dr Suzuki arrives in Darwin on Tuesday, where he will deliver a lecture at CDU and sign copies of his new autobiography.
He first wrote his autobiography Metamorphosis 20 years ago and now, at the age of 70, reflects on many of the environmental and ecological issues that have shaped his career as a scientist and radio and television program-maker.
His lecture tour and book signings have already attracted big audiences in the capital cities. The one-hour presentation reveals his passion for science and nature, with further reflections on his own childhood and upbringing in Canada, the son of Japanese immigrants.
* David Suzuki: The Autobiography is published by Allen & Unwin. This event is SOLD OUT.