Robert Irwin, son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, rang in his 21st birthday on Dec. 1 by sharing a touching tribute to his father.
“It can be hard to celebrate the milestones when there’s someone missing, but I will carry his memory and passion with me in this new chapter of life. I am one lucky guy to be surrounded by my amazing family today. Time to celebrate!”
Steve Irwin was 44 when he died on Sept. 4, 2006, after a stingray barb pierced his heart while he was filming off the coast of Australia.
The wildlife conservationist was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef with oceanographer Philippe Cousteau Jr. At the time of the incident, they were filming content for their 2007 documentary “Ocean’s Deadliest.”
In addition to his son, Steve Irwin left behind a wife, Terri, whom he married in 1992, and a daughter, Bindi, who was born in July 1998.
In a recent interview for Stellar Magazine’s latest issue, published Dec. 1, Robert Irwin discussed the bittersweet emotions he often feels while commemorating special occasions, such as his birthday, without his father by his side.
“It’s difficult navigating that without a father figure. But I have to really praise my entire family, and particularly my mum, on the way in which she’s stepped up to make sure that—while there will always be part of myself missing and I’ll never be complete—I never felt like I missed out on anything,” he added.
“I hope that somewhere, somehow, he knows I’m trying to make him proud.”
In a separate Instagram post, Terri Irwin, 60, assured her son that his father would have taken great pride in all of his many achievements.
Continuing Steve Irwin’s Legacy
Following in the footsteps of his late father, Robert Irwin has dedicated his life to animal conservation.He now works at the Australia Zoo, a more than 700-acre wildlife conservation facility located in Beerwah, Queensland.
Robert Irwin is involved in his family’s nonprofit organization, Wildlife Warriors, which his parents established in 2002. He has also appeared on various television programs, including the Discovery Kids show “Wild But True” and the Animal Planet series “Crikey! It’s the Irwins.”
In November, the television personality was honored with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Sydney, a museum located in Australia’s Darling Harbour.
“I get to be immortalized in wax; that’s really cool. But really, the fact that my mission, and my legacy, and my message is now immortalized—I mean here it is, it is such a meaningful thing, truly,” he said.
Robert Irwin’s wax figure was displayed only steps away from his late father’s, which the wax museum unveiled in 2015. The conservationist said the experience was profoundly meaningful.
“It was very, very cool. It was the first time I‘d ever gotten to see my dad’s wax figure. I’d seen pictures of it, but I'd never seen it in real life. And I was actually overcome with emotion, and I didn’t think that was going to happen, but I was actually quite emotional,” he said.
“Dad, for the last 17 years of my life, has been pictures and videos, and to actually see him—kind of just standing there—it was a lot. It was actually a lot to take in, and it was a really beautiful thing,” he added.
“My life’s about continuing his legacy, so the fact I get to be there with him now means a lot.”
