So 20+ workers are fied and the whole thing is blamed on the economy. The big question is how much of a role has the economy really played? Clearly loosing the Crocodile Hunter has impacted the number of visitors to the zoo, but there are other forces at work here that probably have Steve Irwin turning in his grave.
For example, since Steve died his father has retired his interest and involvement in the Zoo that he himself founded. Seems Terri Irwin was not very authentic, er I mean compatible with Steve's old man. Australia Zoo happens to be less than 30 minutes from EBHQ and until recently we had annual passes for our family of 5. During our last visit a few months back we decided we would not only not be renewing, but would probably never return to the zoo again. The attitude of the staff had changed and the place just was not the same. Nobody really seemed to care as much about what they were doing as before.
Then there's Bindi who couldn't make time for a kid with cancer whose wish to the Make-a-Wish Foundation was to meet her idol, Bindi Irwin. How do we know? Because my kid had cancer last year and was in hospital with the the girl that made that wish. What's more this little girl who is terribly ill and who has nearly died a few times during treatment... lives less than hour from Australia Zoo. Yet make-a-wish flew our whole family from Australia to San Francisco to meet the Mythbusters who were only too happy to make our kid's wish come true.
What a shame that the incredible authenticity and passionate integrity of the Crocodile Hunter appears to have been lost forever.
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