Croc hunter probe on ice
“Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin has escaped from another predicament.
The Australian government on Thursday cleared the exuberant entertainer of allegations that he got too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary.
Getting too close to Antarctic wildlife can bring fines of up to $720,000 and two years in jail. Australian Prime Minister John Howard revealed on Sky News television that a monthlong Environment Department investigation recommended that no action be taken. Irwin had denied any wrongdoing.
The documentary, “Ice Breaker,” was aired by the Animal Planet network last month. It showed Irwin skimming down an icy slope with penguins and lying on a rock near a leopard seal.
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