Don't hurt rays after Irwin death, officials say 請不要為鱷魚獵人報仇
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities have urged fans of Steve Irwin not to attack stingrays(黃貂魚)after several rays were found dead since the TV naturalist was killed in a rare fatal attack by one of the normally placid(平靜的)animals.
Irwin, whose "Crocodile Hunter" documentaries were watched by more than 200 million people, was killed eight days ago when the serrated(有鋸齒的)barb from a stingray's tail pierced his heart.
Queensland state officials said up to 10 of the animals have since been found dead in coastal waters.
Two were found dead with their tails hacked off Tuesday at Deception Bay, north of the Queensland capital Brisbane.
Up to six rays had also been found dead recently further north at Hervey Bay said Wayne Sumpton, a senior biologist in Queensland's Fisheries Department.
"We do not know if these incidents are motivated(由...推動的)by Steve Irwin's death. At the moment that is just speculation," he said.
"We do find dead stingrays with their tails cut off from time to time. People usually do it if they are worried about getting stung by a stingray, or they just do it maliciously, but it is pretty rare," Sumpton said.
Irwin's wildlife colleagues said killing stingrays was against his conservationist(自然資源保護論者)teachings.
"We just want to make it very clear that we will not accept and not stand for anyone who's taken a form of retribution. That's the last thing Steve would want," said Michael Hornby, executive director of Irwin's Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.
Note:
鱷魚獵人史蒂夫·艾爾文被刺鰩毒死後，澳大利亞官方不斷在近海發現被拔去尾刺的死刺鰩。艾爾文野生動物保護組織的執行主席說，這不符合自然保護主義的做法，我們不會支持任何人做出這樣的事情，史蒂夫也一定不希望這樣。