ANGRY “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin blasted his critics yesterday – steamrolling over Matt Lauer during a live “Today” show interview and refusing to apologize for dangling his month-old son near a deadly crocodile.
An exasperated Lauer pleaded with Irwin to “get a word in edgewise” as the exuberant host of Animal Planet’s “Crocodile Hunter” explained why he fed chicken to a 770-pound crocodile during an exhibition at the Australia Zoo – while holding his month-old son, Bob, in his arms.
Tape of the incident sparked worldwide outrage – and even comparisons to Michael Jackson dangling his young son from a hotel balcony.
“It seems, you know, that everyone’s an expert, and they are entitled to their opinion,” Irwin said from Beerwah, Australia.
“My backyard is full of crocodiles,” he said. “You know what, mate? I don’t live on a busy road. My kids don’t have to endure busy streets and busy roads – what they’ve got in their backyard is crocodiles.
“So how on earth could anyone put themselves in my or my children’s positions and make comment accurately and efficiently?”
Lauer asked Irwin what could have happened had he slipped and “that 13-foot crocodile could have looked at your son Bob in the very same way he looked at the chicken you were dangling in front of him . . . “
“There would have to be a meteorite come down, hit Australia, and we’d have an earthquake 6.6 on the Richter scale for me to get knocked over,” Irwin responded.
“I am a professional. I was born and raised with crocodiles. My parents raised me exactly the same way I’m going to raise my children.
“And, Matt, when you’ve got hold of your little boy this afternoon and you fall over for no apparent reason, then and only then should we come up with a game plan.”
The Lauer-Irwin exchange – already marked by a several-second satellite delay – grew more bizarre when Irwin called over his young daughter, Bindy, to sit on his lap and declare she wants to be “just like my daddy” when she grows up.
From then on, Irwin seemed distracted by Bindy, who remained on his lap.
