I'm pretty new and not sure if this is the right place for this story or not, but I found it interesting and thought it could be a bit of a break from the political stuff. I was devastated when I heard about Steve Irwin's death, as I know were many others. If this story is true, he is weeping in heaven at this moment. No real fan would do this to an animal if they truly understood what Steve Irwin was about.
Eight days after the documentary maker was killed in a freak encounter with a stingray while snorkelling off the north Queensland coast, and while his native Australians continue to mourn him, the authorities are investigating the possibility that the species that took Irwin's life is being targeted in acts of retribution.
Up to 10 apparently mutilated stingrays have washed up in coastal waters since his death, prompting Queensland state officials to call on fans of the self-styled "wildlife warrior Australian bloke" not to retaliate against the species that killed their hero.
Two stingrays - typically placid creatures - were found dead yesterday with their tails sliced off at Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, adding to the toll of eight already discovered since Irwin's death in waters further north.
The actual stingray which delivered the fatal blow to Irwin as he swam in shallow waters with a cameraman to film "stuff on the reef and little animals" for a programme featuring his eight-year-old daughter could, of course, still be alive.
"We do find dead stingrays with their tails cut off from time to time. People usually do it if they are worried about getting stung by a stingray, or they just do it maliciously, but it is pretty rare," said Wayne Sumpton, a senior biologist in Queensland's fisheries department.