Google dedicates Doodle to "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin

New Delhi, Feb 22: Today's Google Doodle is dedicated to legendary "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, an Australian wildlife conservationist who died in 2006 while filming an underwater documentary film. Google has dedicated an animated Doodle on what would have been Irwin's 57th birthday. Irwin was born on February 22, 1962.

Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series "The Crocodile Hunter", a wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted with his wife Terri.

Irwin also hosted the series Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, and New Breed Vets. Irwin and his wife Terri also owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by Irwin's parents in Beerwah, about 80 kilometres from Brisbane.

The Crocodile Hunter series debuted on Australian TV screens in 1996 and made its way onto North American television the following year. The Crocodile Hunter became successful in the United States, the UK, and over 130 other countries, reaching 500 million people. Irwin's exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, signature khaki shorts, and catchphrase "Crikey!" became known worldwide.

Over the course of his life, Irwin found worldwide fame as an enthusiastic conservationist. His passion for wildlife started as a child when he would help out at his parents' roadside wildlife park in Queensland.

In 1998, Irwin continued, working with director Mark Strickson, to present The Ten Deadliest Snakes in the World. He appeared on several episodes of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

In 2001, Irwin was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian government for his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism". In 2004, he was recognised as Tourism Export of the Year.

On 4 September 2006, Irwin was on location at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, Queensland, taking part in the production of the documentary series Ocean's Deadliest. During a lull in filming caused by inclement weather, Irwin decided to snorkel in shallow waters while being filmed in an effort to provide footage for his daughter's television programme. While swimming in chest-deep water, Irwin approached a short-tail stingray in order to film it. Irwin died at after being pierced in the heart by the stingray barb.

What is Google Doodle?

A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages that commemorates holidays, events, achievements, and people. The first Google Doodle honored the Burning Man festival in 1998, and was designed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed.

Subsequent Google Doodles were designed by an outside contractor until 2000, when Page and Brin asked public relations officer Dennis Hwang to design a logo for Bastille Day. Since then, a team of employees called Doodlers have organized and published the Doodles.