Irwin no scientist but good environmentalist-survey

SYDNEY, Sep 7 (Reuters) He may not have been a serious scientist but eccentric Australian TV naturalist Steve Irwin, who died in a freak diving accident this week, was an extremely effective environmentalist, a survey said today.

Irwin, the 44-year-old naturalist famed for his quirky ''Crocodile Hunter'' documentaries, died after the serrated barb of a stingray's tail pierced his heart, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans in Australia and around the world.

But in a discordant note amid the floods of tributes, expatriate Australian academic Germaine Greer said yesterday she hoped his death would signal the end of what she described as exploitative nature documentaries.

''There is the problem of this hyper-masculine character interacting with nature ... but the positive results stand alone,'' University of New South Wales researcher Chontelle Perucich told Reuters.

The university released the results of Perucich's 2004 research on the naturalist today.

The survey of 300 people found that only 8 per cent regarded Irwin as a scientist, although 65 per cent had a positive view of him.

Eighty per cent of those who had watched his shows had a positive view.

''While experts might argue about whether Steve Irwin was a so-called savage or a saviour, he had an enormously positive and influential impact on the community,'' Perucich said.

''Whether we agree or disagree with his provocative and up-close interactions with wildlife, research confirms that he was publicly successful,'' she said.

The findings were announced as Irwin's family said it had declined the offer of a state funeral and would hold a private burial, although a separate public service would also be held.

''Because of the tremendous public sympathy and support, we have decided to hold a full memorial service within the next two weeks at a suitable venue yet to be decided,'' Irwin's father Bob said in a statement read to reporters outside his son's Australia Zoo in tropical Queensland state.

Irwin flirted with death many times in his documentaries, seen by 200 million people around the world, as he wrestled with some of the world's most dangerous creatures in an approach different to more traditional wildlife films.

Perucich's research found that people with higher education levels such as tertiary degrees were more likely to disagree with Irwin on specific environmental issues like the culling of native kangaroos to control their numbers.

Irwin was most popular among the young, although older people were more likely to support his views on the environment, the survey showed.

REUTERS SP BST1606