Animal Planet mourns Irwin

SILVER SPRING, MD.— Animal Planet's New Breed Vets wasn't scheduled to air this November following the unexpected death of host Steve Irwin in early September.

In a prepared statement, Discovery Communications reports its deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. "Steve was beloved by millions of fans and animal lovers around the world and was one of our planet's most passionate conservationists." Irwin was created with building Animal Planet into a global brand.

Irwin was killed during a filming expedition for Animal Planet on the Great Barrier Reef. While we are still collecting specific details, it appears that this was a rare accident in which Steve swam over a stingray and was stung by its barb in his chest.

In addition to The Crocodile Hunter series, Irwin filmed 53 episodes of the Emmy-nominated Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, a behind-the-scenes look at Steve's daily life at Australia Zoo, and New Breed Vets, a series highlighting the cutting-edge veterinary science. Special tributes to Irwin were aired on Animal Planet.