Croc Hunter stunt
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Steve Irwin holds his baby Bob, as he feeds Murray the crocodile at a zoo in Australia on Thursday.
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From the "Wolf Blitzer Reports" staff in Washington:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the famous -- or infamous, depending on one's opinion -- "Croc Hunter," has just pulled another stunt, taking his infant son to his first crocodile feeding before a live audience at an Australian zoo.
Of course, no one can know how 1-month-old Bob felt as dad teased, then fed, Murray the crocodile, just a short distance away -- and for good measure, took Bob on a waterside stroll, to the crowd's delight.
Watching a videotape of the performance, you can see Murray is no baby. He's about 13 feet long, and looks hungry.
Irwin has made a very lucrative career out of pushing the envelope with these beasts, even scoring an invitation to the White House.
His show, "Croc Hunter" on the Animal Planet channel, is so popular that he took the inevitable next step of making a feature-length movie.
Irwin's long been a lightning rod for animal experts and others. His warnings have been consistent: "Don't try this at home."
At the Miami Metro Zoo, herpetologist Ron McGill says Irwin is also known for doing good work on behalf of reptile-awareness.
Still, "This was his own infant. I don't know what he was thinking," says McGill.
McGill says crocodiles and alligators are generally very shy creatures, and in the wild, will usually bolt in the opposite direction after spotting a human.
But he says there's a good reason why feeding these animals is against the law in Florida and elsewhere.
"When you feed them, it becomes a natural reaction to look for food. They lose their fear of humans," says McGill.
We tried to reach Irwin through his U.S. representatives and tried to contact Discovery Communications, which oversees the Animal Planet channel. We could get no one from that side to comment.
Irwin told an Australian newspaper, "I was in complete control of the crocodile. Robert was tucked right in my arm ... This kid has to grow up to be croc-savvy."
His wife, Terri, who assists Irwin on these productions, said of her infant son, "It was a wonderful sensory experience for him. He dug it."
Back in Australia, police say they plan to review the tape of the incident.
Today on "Wolf Blitzer Reports":
Aviation officials continue to take strong security measures in light of concerns over possible terror attacks targeting commercial aircraft. Flights from several international carriers have been canceled, diverted or escorted by fighter jets over the past several days. Have the actions thwarted any attacks? We'll bring you the latest details and speak to the former head of the FAA.
Then, the investigation into mad cow disease is expanding. More members of the infected cow's herd have been identified and a third facility has been quarantined. While the current outbreak of the illness hasn't infected any people, there is one human victim in the United States suffering from mad cow disease. We'll bring you her story.
Next, in Iraq today, a U.S. helicopter was shot down and insurgents disguised as journalists ambushed U.S. troops. U.S. forces are defending themselves against claims that they destroyed a Koran during a raid on a Baghdad mosque. We'll bring you the latest developments.
Plus, there's been talk of the United States sending a government humanitarian mission to Iran in the wake of the massive earthquake that hit last week. Reports of a U.S. delegation traveling to North Korea to visit nuclear facilities there are also circulating. Is the U.S. reaching out to the remaining two members of the so-called Axis of Evil? We'll have a report.
Please join us today and every weekday at 5 p.m. ET as well as at noon ET for all the day's news.
