Private Funeral For 'Crocodile Hunter'
"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's family has decided on a private funeral for the popular television star, to be held within a week. The public will have its chance at a memorial service within two weeks, with thousands expected to attend.
The 44-year-old Irwin died Monday after being killed by a stingray on the Great Barrier Reef.
In a short statement Thursday, Bob Irwin said family and "closest friends" would attend the private service, confirming that the "generous government offer" of a state funeral had been turned down.
No details were given on the possible location for a public memorial, although the Irwin family's 60-acre Australia Zoo and a 52,000-seat sports stadium in the nearby state capital of Brisbane have been mentioned.
The elder Irwin said Wednesday that his son would not have wanted a formal state funeral because "he's an ordinary guy, and he wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke."
In other developments:
Australian Prime Minister John Howard had said a state funeral would be appropriate for Irwin because he was so well loved and because of his services to the country as an unofficial tourism ambassador.
Since Irwin's death, several hundred thousand dollars in online donations from the United States alone have poured into one of Irwin's wildlife charities. But the head of one of Irwin's conservation groups said Thursday he is worried what will happen to the million-dollar charitable organization after the peak in interest surrounding Irwin's death recedes.
The head of Wildlife Warriors estimated that nearly a half million dollars in pledges had come into the group from around the world since Irwin's death.
"But it's not just about the dollars," Wildlife Warriors head Michael Hornby told The Associated Press.
"They represent the number of people who are now getting involved. That was a big thing for Steve. He wanted to get the ordinary person, everyday people, involved ... it is coming to fruition."
Even with the donations pouring in, Hornby admitted he wasn't sure how the group, which went public as a charity in April after operating as part of Australia Zoo since 2002, would cope following Irwin's death.
"I don't know," said Hornby. "I have to say Wildlife Warriors has never had this much exposure (as) ... through this incident. I think it probably is a groundswell now. The challenge for us is to keep the momentum going."
That will be a delicate balance, said Hornby.
"It's a fine line between driving ... (Irwin's) wishes and being seen to be exploiting such a terrible, terrible situation," he said.
"That's tough ... but we keep reminding ourselves every day that Steve wanted people to get involved, and if this is what it took, he would be supportive of it."
While Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin's American-born wife, and two children, Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2, remained secluded at their home near Australia Zoo, the reptile theme park that Bob Irwin started in 1970 and which has been a focal point of grieving for thousands of well-wishers.
More than a thousand fans again showed up Thursday to add to the ever-growing assortment of flowers, flags, candles, cartoons drawn by children and dozens of khaki shirts, all signed by mourners in lieu of a condolence book.
After security officials roped off the area, Bob Irwin and several members of his family took a brief, private tour of the memorial on Thursday, reading notes from well-wishers.