JAWING WITH THE CROCODILE HUNTER.

Byline: Fred Shuster Staff Writer

Does this man have a death wish?

There doesn't seem to be any other explanation for why someone would put himself directly in the path of the most dangerous critters on the planet.

But encounters with hissing rattlers and spitting cobras, races with flesh-eating Komodo dragons and rampaging feral pigs, and up-close and personal moments with mambas, sharks and, of course, crocodiles mean just another day at the office for Steve Irwin - known to millions of fans worldwide as TV's ``Crocodile Hunter.''

And while he's endured nothing more serious than a few nonvenomous bites and scratches, Irwin's still alive and kicking - despite Internet-fueled rumors to the contrary.

``I've supposedly been killed by crocodiles, venomous snakes, spiders,'' Irwin said. ``I've even had a beetle crawl in my ear and kill me. Nah! I'm here to tell you Steve Irwin lives.''

Still, he admits, ``I've taken thousands of bites from various animals. I've had all sorts of claws in me. But I've never had a real serious bite.''

In episodes of ``The Crocodile Hunter,'' the khaki-clad Irwin can usually be seen playing with something creepy, crawly and incredibly dangerous or simply flinging himself on top of one thrashing beast or another.

The much-talked-about series is an especially toothy success for cable's Animal Planet, a subsidiary of the Discovery Channel. The 4-year-old show, which airs almost continually on the network, is seen by more than 122 million viewers each week in more than 60 countries.

Irwin also appears in commercials for Pentax cameras and Federal Express, has a toy and clothing line, and is the subject of a film now in development.

Pentax marketing director Flip Dalfonso said Irwin is an ideal spokesman for the company's line of point-and-shoot cameras. The commercial features a characteristically hyper Irwin and an equally excitable crocodile.

``Not only is the Crocodile Hunter amusing and entertaining, but his show is also educational,'' Dalfonso said. ``He appeals to the entire family and is enormously popular worldwide.''

``Exuberant'' doesn't begin to describe Irwin, who along with his duties as flinch-inducing TV host, is director of the Australia Zoo in the Aussie state of Queensland. ``Crazed'' is more like it.

But beneath the nonstop barrage of catch phrases like ``Have a look at this little beauty!'' and ``Check out the size of this bloke!'' is a serious message of wildlife conservation.

``It's conservation through education and entertainment,'' said the baby- faced, perpetually cheerful Irwin, 38. ``That's my passion and aim in life. I don't want to see animals killed. I want to see them relocated if need be. I put my life on the line to protect the animals I love the most. And I'm seeing a global response.''

A self-taught naturalist, Irwin is often joined by his American wife and series co-host, Terri, and their equally fearless 2-year-old daughter, Bindi (yup, she's named after a crocodile), during episodes of croc wrestling and venomous snake-grabbing.

``Part of my job is keeping the camera crew alive, and sometimes that's very difficult,'' Irwin said last week from his office at the 22-acre zoo.

So far, no crew members have ended up as a crocodile's lunch, but a few cameras have. In one recent show, a lightning-fast, 12-foot croc leapt out of the water and took a very big bite out of some very expensive equipment.

``It took him half a second to take a whack at a camera worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars,'' Irwin said. ``He really minced it.''

Irwin's love of wildlife was passed onto him by his parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, who in 1973 opened Queensland Reptile & Fauna Park (now Australia Zoo). It was his herpetologist dad who taught Irwin how to catch crocodiles with his bare hands in the rivers of North Queensland when he was just a boy.

Together, this father and son can boast that every one of the nearly 100 crocs at the Australia Zoo were either caught with their own hands or bred and raised there. As part of the government's rogue crocodile relocation program, Irwin safely captured and moved dozens of troublesome crocs without harm.

Along with the Pentax and self-parodying FedEx spots and various magazine ads, Irwin's star shot even higher last month when NBC aired an hourlong TV special featuring clips and behind-the-scenes footage from his Animal Planet exploits. As a result, ``Crocodile Hunter'' fans spill over into all age groups.

``He's funny and crazy,'' said Dylan Miller, 10, an Encino fifth-grader. ``I like him because he does all these dangerous things and makes it look so easy. But if you go out there and try to wrestle crocodiles, you'd be dead in less than five seconds.''

Adds Dylan's mom, Nicole Montgomery: ``It's a great message for kids - that we all need to be responsible for the animals we share this planet with. Plus, the Crocodile Hunter's such a total nut and he's having so much fun. Everybody just loves him.''

The series, which has spawned a range of toys, board games and action figures, is Animal Planet's most popular program, says network spokesman Matt Katzive. A weeklong ``Crocodile Hunter'' marathon in June yielded the highest numbers in the channel's history, placing the network fourth among all basic cable networks for adults ages 18 to 49.

``It's incredibly popular, and it has been almost from the start,'' Katzive said. ``It's the sort of thing where you see it once and you have to see it again.''

Fans will get plenty of chances to catch some heart-pounding croc action beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, when Animal Planet offers ``Croc 'n' New Year's Eve,'' a daylong countdown to the most popular episode of ``The Crocodile Hunter.'' The winning installment will air at midnight, the choice a result of viewer votes on the Internet.

There's much to choose from. One famous episode has a 330-pound python slowly tightening its grip around Irwin's neck, while the victim-host keeps up a nonstop narrative.

Still, no injury resulted - not even a stiff neck.

``I take great pride in telling you that I have never lost a finger, and any bites I've had along the way have been my fault, not the animal's. I don't blame them.''

That's good. Because as he himself has said many times on TV: ``They have no choice but to bite. That's nature's way.''

``CROC 'N' NEW YEAR'S EVE''

What: Countdown to the most popular episode of ``The Crocodile Hunter.'' Will it be the show where Steve Irwin dodges venomous snake spit or the one with Steve's step-by-step course on crocodile captures?

Where: Animal Planet.

When: 2 p.m. Sunday.

On the Web: www.crocodilehunter.com.

How to be a crocophile, crocodile

You've got your khaki shirts and shorts.

Plus, a good sturdy snake-catching bag, headlamp for midnight expeditions, heavy-duty boots and industrial-strength sunglasses to protect against the harsh Australian Outback sun.

Well, you're not ready to join Steve and Terri Irwin until you master some of the Crocodile Hunter's favorite phrases.

Here's a choice selection of Croc Talk.

--``Have a look at this little beauty!''

--``Don't muck with it.''

--``Check out the size of this bloke!''

--``Holy smokes, that was close.''

--``You're a little bit of naughty!''

--``What a ripper.''

--``Crikey, she's a little grumpy.''

--``Crocs rule.''

--``Danger! Danger! Danger!''

--``She has extreme jaw pressure. One bite would mean my life.''

--``Woo-hoo!''

--``They have no choice but to bite. That's nature's way.''

--``Whew, he's getting cranky.''

- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) With Animal Planet's `Crocodile Hunter,' New Year's Eve doesn't have to bite (Steve Irwin)

(2) Steve Irwin and his wife, Terri, engage in an affectionate embrace with a crocodile in an episode of Animal Planet's ``The Crocodile Hunter.''

(3) Irwin bonds with a rather large snake, which he does when he's not wrestling crocs.

Box: How to be a crocophile, crocodile (See text)