Steve Irwin Interview

If you've never come across Steve Irwin on the small screen chasing crocs along the banks of a river then you are in for something of a shock. This is a man who redefines the word enthusiastic. Every sentence the Australian speaks sounds as though it ends with an exclamation mark, he can regale you with story after story about escaping from fierce snakes, reptiles and rhinos and he actually uses words such as 'Sheila' and 'Fair Dinkum'.

He may sound a little extreme for our English sensibilities, but spend ten minutes in the company of this renowned conservationist and you will easily be won over by his charm, his down-to-earth nature and his positive outlook on life. At London Zoo to promote his first foray into the movie business, he has good reason to be happy. His movie Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course opened in the United States up against the might of the summer blockbuster Men in Black II. It took a hefty $10m in its opening weekend. Not bad for a boy from the bush.

Not that the movie was a cinch to make. The prospect of filming in remote locations with some of the world's most dangerous animals was anathema to the big Hollywood studios who were keen to use CGI animals. But for Irwin this was never going to be the case. "We got around the biggest hurdle known to man by using big, wildcore crocs", he explains, "and with crocs you have to use a lot of cameras. You just can't tell a croc that this is Take One, Take Two and Take Three".

The filming process was not without its problems either. Steve's mother was tragically killed in a car accident halfway during the production, but even so the feisty Antipodean manages to see light at the end of the tunnel. "The movie is basically a tribute to her. She really wanted us to make a movie the whole family could get excited about. We wanted to give something very positive to the world."

Indeed positive could be Irwin's middle name. Even on the often dark subject of the future of the planet he is upbeat. "I am optimistic globally. So many scientists are working frantically on the reparation of our planet. Unfortunately there are countries who are still destroying it, but we really hope the conservation message rubs off in our film. Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent."