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Mystery surrounds Douglas death

WA Police don't know how wildlife filmmaker Malcolm Douglas came to grief in a car accident on his property.

Mystery surrounds the death of pioneer wildlife filmmaker Malcolm Douglas who died in a car accident on his property yesterday.

A staff member found the 69-year-old’s body at 6.20am, crushed between his 4WD vehicle and a tree, but police don’t know how he came to be in that position in the first place.

The time of death is also a mystery and, while police emphasise that his death is not suspicious, they do not know what caused the car to start up and crush Douglas after he got out of the vehicle. They said no one else was there and the adventurer was dead when he was found.

Detective Sergeant Brett Baddock of Broome Police said the vehicle did not appear to have rolled, but somehow started and moved forward. The specialist vehicle inspectors from Perth would be flown to the northwest outpost to examine the car to try to determine what went wrong.

He said speed and alcohol were not factors, there were no skid marks and the weather was clear, with no rain or fog.

“It was not suspicious. It’s an unfortunate accident,” he said.

Renowned naturalist, author and TV personality Dr Harry Butler said he was saddened by the sudden loss of a friend.

“It is one less person effectively fighting for conservation in this state,” Dr Butler said.

“I think that he did a good job of educating and inducting people into understanding that crocodiles are not in your face and are not horrible ‘beasties’ and are something that are just another aspect of nature.

“His crocodile farm will keep on going but I think his character won.”

Seven will play one of two unseen documentaries by Douglas next Wednesday night at 9:30pm. The network is also understood to have commissioned two more from the veteran performer.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Source: The Australian, news.com.au

8 Responses

  1. Ok guys.. back on subject please. If you want to discuss political parties take it elsewhere. Think I have given everyone enough rope, but if there is nothing more to add on the work of Malcolm Douglas I will close the thread.

  2. @secret squirrel.
    Lets see. What did Steve Irwin do?
    He set up a wild life reserve. In far north qld. Which has several plant species that are found no where else. And his foundation, is fighting to stop the government from allowing mining there. (What are the greens doing? Nothing. As soon as all memory of Irwin dies the better for them. He showed people practical environmentalism. some thing they are unable to do.) He traveled around the world. Teaching people, to live with the local wildlife. In stead of killing it. He was to become a adjunct professor at the uni of qld biology department. Not to mention. How he introduced many people to practical environmentalism. Especially children. He did a lot for the enviroment. Far more than many of his detractors put together ever will. I wont compare Douglas to Irwin. They were both great. And did far more for the enviroment,than Brown will in his life time.

  3. Irwin was a buffoon and not a patch on Douglas. There was little that he did that had any substantive long-term benefits environmentally. Man-handling wildlife for the camera and labelling it “conservation” doesn’t make it so. It is prophetic that in a weekend newspaper a week before Irwin’s passing, there was an article on Douglas and he was quoted as saying that Irwin’s antics were going to get himself killed one day.

  4. I think you need to go watch some more aca. So you can find out what else makes people “un Australian” I was just pointing out, how much good work he and others like him have done. As far as making people aware how valuable our enviroment is. Look at the fishing industry. Who do you think, got the majority of people aware of the benefits of preserving our fish stock? Was it the greens who wanted to lock up our fishing areas.? No , It was Rex Hunt. Someone who knew that the best way to preserve our fisheries. Was for us to be able to interact with it. Lock our wild life areas. People will lose a connection to it. So when they are under threat people will just go meh. Who cares? If a wild life area is under threat where people enjoy going to and have fond memories of. They will be quicker to act, to protect it. I might be a bogan. But at least i understand human nature a lil better. than the latte drinking “elitist ” of this country.

  5. @ boganpride, environmentalism? wtf does that mean?
    Don’t include Douglas,Irwin in your redneck political argument. Suggest you try Senator Katter and his ilk for their views on environmentalism, you will I think, find they are more agreeable with your warp views than the above.

  6. Shame on you boganpride (thats says it all ) for using the unfortunate death of this man as a chance to bash the green party and all it stands for, its you and people like that make me ashamed to Australian.

    R.I.P Mr Douglas

  7. People like Malcolm Douglas, Steve Irwin etc. Did more for the environmentalism, than people like Bob Brown and his party ever did ( or could.). Douglas and Irwin, wanted you to be part of nature, to interact with it. ( No. They didn’t want everyone jumping on the back of a crocodile) to experience the greatness of being in it.. Brown and the like, wants to people to stand back and worship it like some idol from afar. To lock it away from everyone. Which in the end only makes people feel less connected to it.

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