Take that

Since the Croc Hunter Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray, 11 stingrays have turned up dead, mutilated with their barbed tails cut off, on the east coast of Australia. It is now believed that grief-stricken fans of Irwin are exacting "revenge," as though the stingrays will "get the message," like some kind of good fella hit.

Could there be a better example of the irrational, insipid nature latent in the human core? Actually, I do know one, if you doubt that "revenge" might be at least one motivating factor here. After 9/11, when the US was about to launch its attack on Afghanistan and the Taliban had joined the scourge of the month club, local tales here began to surface that certain deranged individuals in America had decided that Aghan dogs were some how associated with the terrorist sponsors and were issued some rough justice.

It may also be that the old entrepreneurial spirit is kicking in and poachers, seeking to capitalize on the moment, are whacking the rays and selling the poached tails to the aggrieved or others who would think having a stingray barb hanging around their neck would be really cool. I'm sure Irwin would love to know that wild animals are being slaughtered with him in mind as the human urges of revenge and profit haunt his name.