Crocodile Hunter's widow to launch whale research

The widow of TV “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin is to launch non-lethal research of whales in Antarctic waters next year, in a bid to shame Japan’s scientific whale kill.

Tokyo has staunchly defended its annual cull of more than 1,000 whales as crucial for research, saying it is necessary to kill them to properly gather information about their eating, breeding and migratory habits.