As I work as a reptile biologist at a zoo, I met Steve several times. He was an incredibly funny & witty guy, and very enthusiastic about animals, just like you see on TV. Because of what animals I work with, he was probably most interested in my section, the snakes & crocs & stuff.

He was a great guy & probably the best of the "real-life" animal TV show guys we've had in awhile but to be honest he DID rub alot of folks a bit wrong in the zoo communitites for his reckless & fearless ways with potentially dangerous animals, and, at least early in his career, tended to give a wrong message to folks, especially young kids about the risks involved with being so close to venomous snakes, giant tarantulas, & the like.
In actuality, even zoo professionals rarely handle or even go into exhibits with potentially dangerous animals...venomous snakes are NEVER actually picked up & held "by the head" (a common misconception), but grasped with an array of tongs, hooks, etc. I've been in the zoo field for over 12 years & can count on one hand the number of times I've actually held a venomous snake in my hands.

More than one young kid has come up to me with stories or how he found a snake in his backyard & fearlessly grabbed it by the tail "just like the Crocodile Hunter on TV". At least one of these little fellers was describing what sounded VERY much like a copperhead, a very common venomous snake where we live.

Later on Steve began to add warnings to his antics with a bit more fervor than before but kids tend to like to imitate what they see on TV and many zoo folks can tell similar stories. Steve was very careful and always on guard with his animals but a young kid (or adult) watching him on TV, without Steve's knowledge, skills, & experience, may thing it's easier to approach & handle, say, a venomous snake than it really is, a recipe for potential disaster.

However, he was a real sweetheart of a guy and incredibly knowledgeable about all types of animals, and loved all wildlife with a passion few others can match. His death is very tragic and my heart goes out to his family & all who loved watching him on TV. He was truely one of a kind!