Steve Irwin's Ghost Wreaks Its Bloody Revenge

Really, did the vast Stingray Empire think it could fell Steve Irwin so easily? According to Bonnie Malkin in the Guardian, stingrays are feeling the blowback of their crime in the form of angry humans mutilating the water-logged beasts.

Up to 11 stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia's eastern coast since the Crocodile Hunter's death, prompting fears that Irwin's fans are exacting their revenge on the normally docile fish.

Officials from the department of primary industries and fisheries say two of the dead stingrays were not the victims of revenge attacks, but they have been unable to determine the cause of death of at least another nine.

The fact that the tails and barbs of several of the animals were lopped off has environmentalists worried.

Irwin's group is denouncing the stingray mutilations, which temporarily drives me to regret over my mockery of the situation. Read California Tim Cavanaugh on Irwin here.