Bindi Irwin nature series on hold for a year

CANBERRA, Oct 20 (Reuters) The 8-year-old daughter of Australia's ''Crocodile Hunter'' Steve Irwin is to wait a year before starring in a new TV nature series amid fears her childhood could disappear emulating her father's animal exploits.

Bindi Irwin was next year to star in a 26-part series on Discovery Kids network, with the working title ''Bindi, the Jungle Girl'', following her father's death from a stingray barb.

But John Stainton, the family's manager, said filming was on hold until he completed a year-long holiday in the wake of his close friend's death.

The delay, Stainton said, had nothing to with criticism by conservative Australian Upper House Senator Bill Heffernan that the youngster could be exploited by ratings-hungry TV producers.

''I can't understand what all the fuss is about,'' Stainton told Australian newspapers, adding he was ''fed up'' with the furore about Bindi's future.

''As far as I know, only one person has said this. That's not public opinion.'' Discovery Channel Publicist Annie Howell said Bindi and her US-born mother, Terri, were determined to go ahead with the series and there was no pressure on them from the network.

The wildlife encounter series started several months ago as a show with Irwin and his daughter and would include scenes between the youngster and her father, the exuberant, khaki-clad Australian naturalist.

''It was something that they were really enthusiastic about,'' Howell told Reuters.

Irwin, 44, died on SeptEMBER 4 after a stingray's serrated barb pierced his heart while he was filming scenes for a documentary off Australia's northeast coast.

REUTERS SP HS1101