PETA called Steve Irwin an animal 'harasser' and people are furious

PETA is at it again with another publicity-seeking stunt, this time going after the late Steve Irwin, calling him an animal "harasser" on Twitter.

The animal rights campaign organisation has been facing an intense backlash online after criticising Google’s decision to honour the Australian conservationist on his 57^th birthday with a Google Doodle.

To pay tribute to his legacy, Google Doodle released a bunch of touching illustrations on Friday, celebrating the Crocodile Hunter’s conservation efforts and achievements.

Today’s #GoogleDoodle celebrates #SteveIrwin, the legendary Australian wildlife advocate & TV personality whose bravery & passion opened the eyes of millions to the wonders of wildlife

Many people applauded Google for their touching tribute, taking to social media to post their own thoughts and memories of the Aussie legend.

But PETA chose to take another, more controversial stance, posting a series of angry tweets accusing Google of sending “a dangerous and fawning message”.

PETA's president Ingrid Newkirk added to the fire by issuing an additional statement, which read:

PETA must ask who commissioned these dangerous, hagiographic cartoons of a man who died while harassing a stingray, dangled his baby while feeding a crocodile, and 'wrestled' wild animals who were minding their own business

This fawning, ignorant tribute is a slap in the face to the vast majority of people who acknowledge that wild animals are entitled to be left alone in their natural habitats

As expected, people were quick to fire back, reminding the organisation about the Irwin family's relentless efforts in wildlife preservation and animal protection.

This is not the first time PETA has sparked controversy, previously comparing using animal idioms to racism and homophobia, and being roasted after tweeting out their "anti-animal language" chart.

While an anti-animal language chart might have been somewhat funny, dragging a beloved dead man's name is definitely not the way to go.

Think again, PETA.

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