The family of Steve Irwin have formally declined the offer of a state funeral, confirming that Australia's world-famous Crocodile Hunter will be buried in private sometime in the next week.

But Irwin's many fans will have a chance to mourn him at a public memorial service which will be held within a fortnight. Thousands are expected to attend.

The hugely popular naturalist was killed on Monday after the serrated barb of a stingray’s tail pierced his heart while he was filming a TV programme at the Great Barrier Reef.

His death triggered an outpouring of grief from fans in Australia and around the world, with John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, saying that a state funeral would be appropriate because of Mr Irwin's services to the country as an unofficial ambassador.

But in a short statement made today, his father Bob Irwin said that family and "closest friends" would attend a private service, confirming that the "generous government offer" of a state funeral had been turned down.

"Because of the tremendous public sympathy and support, we have decided to hold a full memorial service within the next two weeks at a suitable venue yet to be decided," added Mr Irwin.

No details were given on the possible location for a public memorial, although the Irwin family’s 25-hectare (60-acre) Australia Zoo and a 52,000-seat sports stadium in the nearby state capital of Brisbane have been mentioned as potential venues.

Mr Irwin yesterday said that his son would not have wanted a formal state funeral because "he’s an ordinary guy, and he wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke".

Since his death, fans across the globe have paid their respects by making contributions to his wildlife charities. From the USA alone, where Irwin was particularly popular, several hundred thousand dollars have poured in via online donations. But despite those donations, the head of one of his conservation groups, Wildlife Warriors, today expressed concerns about the future of the charity once the interest surrounding Irwin’s death had died down.

Michael Hornby, who heads the million-dollar organisation, estimated that nearly half a million dollars in pledges had been contributed from around the world since the conservationist's death.

"But it’s not just about the dollars," he said. "They represent the number of people who are now getting involved. That was a big thing for Steve. He wanted to get the ordinary person, everyday people, involved ... it is coming to fruition."

"I have to say Wildlife Warriors has never had this much exposure (as) ... through this incident. I think it probably is a groundswell now. The challenge for us is to keep the momentum going. That will be a delicate balance," he said.

Mr Hornby said that he had to negotiate a "fine line" between respecting Mr Irwin's wishes and exploiting his death. "That’s tough ... but we keep reminding ourselves every day that Steve wanted people to get involved, and if this is what it took, he would be supportive of it."

Irwin's body is currently at a funeral home at Caloundra, about 20 km (12 miles) from Australia Zoo, the reptile theme park started by Bob Irwin in 1970 and turned into a major tourist attraction by his son. It has since become a focal point of grieving for Mr Irwin's thousands of mourners.

While Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin’s American-born wife, and their two children, Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2, remained in private at their home near the zoo, more than a thousand fans again showed up again today to add to the increasing assortment of flowers, flags, candles, cartoons and khaki shorts, famously worn by Mr Irwin on his TV shows.

Mrs Irwin has not commented since her husband’s death. Her mother, Julia Raines from Eugene, Oregon, told the television news show Inside Edition in the USA that her daughter had said she might have trouble coming to grips with being a single parent.

"Terri says it’s going to be hard being the only parent because you depend on the other person more than you realise, and she’s having a hard time with that," said Mrs Raines. "She told me, 'I’m very concerned about raising the children by myself,’ but I know she’ll do well."

Despite criticism from some quarters of Mr Irwin's famously daring approach to the wildlife he loved, a poll in Australia showed that most people considered him an extremely effective environmentalist,.

The survey, conducted by the University of New South Wales in Australia, showed that out of 300 people, 65 per cent had a positive view of him. Although only 8 per cent regarded him as a scientist, 80 per cent of those who had watched his shows held a positive view.

"While experts might argue about whether Steve Irwin was a so-called savage or a saviour, he had an enormously positive and influential impact on the community," Chontelle Perucich, a researcher, told Reuters.

"Whether we agree or disagree with his provocative and up-close interactions with wildlife, research confirms that he was publicly successful," she said.

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