Irwin supporters give $1.5m to charity

Following the death of popular Australian wildlife filmmaker and conservationist Steve Irwin on 4th September, an estimated 300m viewers worldwide watched the televised memorial service.

50,000 fans showed their support directly by pledging time or money to Irwin’s conservation charity Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, donating a total of 1.5m Australian Dollars.

The charity’s executive manager Michael Hornby, said that while the donations have been overwhelming, it is sad that it has taken his friend’s death to bring the issue to the fore.

“So many new people have got engaged for the first time,” he said.

“That gives us a sense, I guess, of authority or conviction that we can go and talk to decision makers now and let them know that environmental issues are now on top of the agenda because Steve made it that way.”

Hornby added, “We need to make sure that we provide sustainable programs that make the most impact on our environment for the better for the future.”