Television star Steve Irwin, known as the ``Crocodile Hunter,'' died after a sting-ray's barb pierced his chest during the filming of a documentary, police said.
The 44-year-old collapsed after being stung by the sting-ray at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, a popular tourist resort, at 11 a.m. today, the Queensland Police Service said in the e-mailed statement.
Irwin shot to fame after his first wildlife documentary, `The Crocodile Hunter,' became a global hit. He went on to film 53 episodes of the Emmy award-nominated `Croc Files' and `The Crocodile Hunter Diaries' which chronicled his day-to-day life working at Australia Zoo.
Irwin has since appeared on `The Oprah Winfrey Show,' `The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' and collaborated with the Wiggles, to film `The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari.''
Irwin began catching crocodiles as a nine-year-old boy, learning from his father who started the reptile park he took over in 1991.
Irwin is survived by his wife Terri, and two children, son Bob and daughter Bindi, Sydney's Daily Telegraph said on its Web site. Irwin created a furor in 2004 when he was shown holding one- month-old Bob near a feeding crocodile.
Irwin was an animal rights campaigner who fought to protect crocodiles after the Northern Territory state government proposed the resumption of crocodile hunting.
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The 44-year-old collapsed after being stung by the sting-ray at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, a popular tourist resort, at 11 a.m. today, the Queensland Police Service said in the e-mailed statement.
Irwin shot to fame after his first wildlife documentary, `The Crocodile Hunter,' became a global hit. He went on to film 53 episodes of the Emmy award-nominated `Croc Files' and `The Crocodile Hunter Diaries' which chronicled his day-to-day life working at Australia Zoo.
Irwin has since appeared on `The Oprah Winfrey Show,' `The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' and collaborated with the Wiggles, to film `The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari.''
Irwin began catching crocodiles as a nine-year-old boy, learning from his father who started the reptile park he took over in 1991.
Irwin is survived by his wife Terri, and two children, son Bob and daughter Bindi, Sydney's Daily Telegraph said on its Web site. Irwin created a furor in 2004 when he was shown holding one- month-old Bob near a feeding crocodile.
Irwin was an animal rights campaigner who fought to protect crocodiles after the Northern Territory state government proposed the resumption of crocodile hunting.
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