PETA Sparked Controversy With Its Tweets About Steve Irwin — What Did They Say?

The man behind the moniker of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, was beloved by countless fans before his untimely death. He utilized his growing platform to provide education to the public regarding the behavior and lifestyle of various wildlife, much to the joy and entertainment of his fans.

However, PETA, the controversial organization that always seems to be in the news for one reason or another, was critical of Irwin and his career — even after his death.

Why, you might be wondering, was PETA so critical of a beloved icon in the wildlife industry? Did the organization believe that Irwin's actions throughout his career ran contradictory to the ethos of leaving wildlife undisturbed?

Below, we explore PETA's criticism of the Crocodile Hunter and why they believe his work was unethical so that you can decide for yourself why PETA's statements were so controversial.

On Feb. 22, 2019, Google honored Irwin's life with a Google Doodle of the star holding a cartoon croc on what would have been his 57th birthday. In response, PETA tweeted the following:

"Steve Irwin was killed while harassing a ray; he dangled his baby while feeding a crocodile [and] wrestled wild animals who were minding their own business. Today’s Google Doodle sends a dangerous, fawning message. Wild animals are entitled to be left alone in their natural habitats."

Criticize PETA all you want, for any number of reasons. Throughout the years, PETA has received universal criticism for its tone-deaf "Holocaust On Your Plate" campaign, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, no less, which has contributed to the rise in antisemitism in the animal welfare industry.

But in this specific instance, it's hard to argue against PETA's claims that Irwin did indeed disturb wildlife for entertainment.

PETA doubled down on their scandalous Tweet in response to the Google Doodle, noting that: "Steve Irwin’s actions were not on target with his supposed message of protecting wildlife. A real wildlife expert [and] someone who respects animals for the individuals they are[,] leaves them to their own business in their natural homes."

Again, it's hard to argue that PETA doesn't have a valuable point. Animals should be left in their own environments, not handled for entertainment.

The organization had one final Tweet on the subject: "It is harassment to drag exotic animals, including babies taken from their mothers, around from TV talk shows to conferences & force them to perform as Steve Irwin did. Animals deserve to live as they want to, not as humans demand––the Google Doodle should represent that."

As USA TODAY explains, Irwin was so much more than the character he portrayed on The Crocodile Hunter television show, as a prolific saver of animal lives who providing sanctuary to countless animals.

Social media users noted as much in the backlash PETA received, which they say was especially tone-deaf to criticize the late Irwin on his birthday.

"PETA is an embarrassment to animal rights," Zack Bornstein tweeted at the time.

Irrespective of your views on the controversial organization and the timing of their criticism of Irwin, it's clear that PETA will continue to make waves in the name of animal welfare, even if a large population of people don't like it.