Philately News

Australian environmentalist and star television “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin has been commemorated on a stamp a year after his death, Australia Post said Monday.

Irwin, killed by a stingray while filming on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, had spent years performing death-defying feats with dangerous animals, gaining international celebrity as he raised the profile of wildlife preservation.

The stamp, which pictures Irwin with his daughter Bindi, son Bob and a snake, went on sale on Monday.

The stamp was launched jointly with the magazine New Idea, and features a commemorative cover issued by the publication after Irwin’s death.

New Idea earlier produced a souvenir stamp featuring Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In a subsequent poll to choose another celebrity for a set of stamps, the public overwhelmingly chose Irwin.

Proceeds from the sale of the 50 cent (46 US cent) stamp will go to Irwin’s conservation charity, Wildlife Warriors.