After landing in LA, a stretch van arrived to take us to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for the afternoon taping with Steve. At the shows green room, we met Steve's best friend Wes and the rest of his Australian entourage. Earlier, during a run through of Steve's segment with Bubba, Jay Leno wasn't there for the rehearsal. That is why during the show, when he and Steve picked up Bubba to put him on the desk, Jay almost dropped him. Bubba swung his tail in reflex because he felt he was falling, and Steve got hit in the cheek with the tail. Our phone started ringing off the wall from friends and family watching, some thinking Bubba almost was hurt and some thinking it was bad press for Steve. But all was well as Steve explained.
The next day was the movie premier in LA at a famous theatre. Bubba was stationed at the door greeting all the guests as Steve, Terri and Bindi arrived on the street riding an elephant to the premier. One of the guests was Jon Voight who was a huge fan of Steve Irwin. He just loved Bubba and we hung out most of the afternoon. After the film showing, the parking lot was set up as a giant zoo. There were other animals walking around, cheetahs, giraffes and other exotics. Steve came around to each animal taking photos for the press. People stood in long lines for photos with the animals including Bubba!
It was amazing to watch people respond to Steve's contagious enthusiasm. Steve was the perfect guy at the perfect time to be the ambassador of wildlife. He was one of a kind man who was genuine in every way about his passion for animals and conservation. He was truly a wildlife warrior. His worldwide audience was over a half billion viewers, that says it all.
Go to You Tube and check out the video called Crocodile Hunter - From Outback to Hollywood. You will see the zoo after the premier with Bubba and a clip of Bindi riding Bubba also.
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