New Delhi: A week after his tragic death, 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has become the subject of a raging Internet debate over the issue of telecast of a video that reportedly froze his death on reels.
Irwin, 44, died on September 4 after he was pierced in the chest by a stingray's barb while filming a documentary off the far north Queensland coast.
The event was reportedly captured on film while Irwin and his crew were shooting a show.
Steve was given the final farewell at a private funeral service at an Australia Zoo on Saturday. It was attended only by his family and closest friends.
A memorial service has been planned for the wildlife lover and television personality this week, with Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium as the likely venue.
While the Australian authorities have been guarded about the release of the video, many apprehend that the video will eventually show up online in an age of YouTube and GoogleVideo.
This apprehension has now sparked off a huge debate regarding the ethical propriety of releasing the video for public viewing.
"Those who would like to watch his death, exchange his face for one of your loved ones! Then would you want it shown?" Sandy, a Steve admirer, wrote about the appropriateness of releasing the video.
"No! Steve Irwin was so full of life, fun to watch and lived life to its fullest. Why would anyone want to watch a video of his death? Let him and his family have some privacy. I'm sure his family doesn't want to watch him die. They have lost enough. Let him have some dignity," wrote another Steve fan.
For the most of past week, BBC ran an online debate asking readers on its website if the film should ever be broadcast to the watching public and whether they would watch the video in case it is broadcast.
Some readers said in the debate that one should at least consider making the footage available to the public. "The footage of Irwin's death is his ultimate message to us of the ruthlessness and power that we admire and fear in nature," wrote Anna Smajdor of Imperial College, London.
"Irwin's public appeal was premised on facing danger. At any stage of his media career, disaster could have struck. Irwin was willing to undertake these risks for the sake of our entertainment and our education, and at a broader level, for the sake of conservation. Irwin's role as an educator is important here," she argued.
Daniel Sokol of Keele University won't agree. "Irwin's passion for nature and his exuberance leapt out of the screen. Let that memory remain, and let the footage of his pierced heart disappear with the stingray into the depths of the ocean," he says.
"I find it distasteful that you even ask the question. This is a family matter. I am even annoyed at myself for responding. You are the media and you are exploiting this tragedy," says Chris Taylor from Singapore.
Have Your Say: Should Steve Irwin's death video be aired?
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