I’ve been around plenty of fannish types in my time, and I’ve seen a lot of outlandish behavior perpetrated for the love of a particular media personality or property. I’m generally inclined to excuse such silliness with a shrug and an indulgent smile.
However, if this item is true, it is one of the most asinine, repugnant things I’ve ever heard about:

In the wake of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin’s death by stingray, some fans may be carrying out revenge attacks against the fish.

 

As many as ten stingrays have been found dead, with their tails cut off, along the southern coast of Australia’s Queensland state.

The article takes pains to point out that these mutilations may have nothing to do with Irwin’s recent death, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that they do. And even though I didn’t think very highly of Mr. Irwin’s stage persona, I can’t imagine that he’d be anything but utterly appalled by these acts, regardless of who is performing them or why. If the stingrays are indeed being killed by misguided Irwin fans, I can only say, to paraphrase the immortal Shatner, “Grow the f**k up, people…”