Many of us remember Steve Irwin with a smile. It seemed as if he was able to bring something to us that we never would’ve been able to bring to ourselves. We often live vicariously through him as he was interacting with animals and we were able to see the side of his personality and the animals he loved whenever he was on the screen. Although he was best known for his Crocodile Hunter role, it was really a love affair with all wildlife that set him apart from his peers.
Although there is no doubt that Irwin did a lot of amazing things, there were times however when he did something that just made us stop and pay attention. When we see these things on video, it often puts us right in the middle of the scene and we feel as if we are standing right there with him. These are the moments that have the chance of taking our breath away and that certainly is the case with this video. When you see what happened on that day, you will understand why both Irwin and the orangutan have captured the attention of the world.
This video was shot in the Forest of Sumatra. Steve Irwin was sitting in a tree and just above him was a mother orangutan. Most of us have never been that close to an orangutan outside of captivity and if we were, we probably wouldn’t know how to react. That isn’t the case with Irwin, however, because he knew exactly what to do. He sat still, perfectly still, and waited for the orangutan to come to him.
Even though they are complete strangers, it is obvious that the orangutan is quite interested in why he is sitting up in the tree. Perhaps the most amazing part of it is the fact that she is holding a baby in her arms. She is able to sense, however, that Steve poses no threat to her or her baby. It is what happens next, however, that will take you by surprise.
As you can imagine, most animals would simply run away if they were this close to a human in the wild. This mama orangutan, however, came down the tree and sat right down next to Steve. She was still holding the baby in her arms but she didn’t have any fear of this man that she had never met before.
This is one of those situations that is almost difficult to describe. That is why I’m happy that we have this video to share with you. It will remind you of why we miss this man so much and what he really offered to the world: