Robert Irwin's touching tribute from Steve's iconic truck
Steve Irwin was treasured by the entire world, his dedication to wildlife paired with his cheeky personality had everyone wrapped.
He did essential work in the field of conservation and animal education, and he always left viewers smiling.
His death on September 4, 2006, broke the hearts of millions, but his legacy has been continued by his wife Terri and kids Bindi and Robert.
In April 2023 Robert Irwin reflected on some early memories with his late dad and recreated a childhood photo.
Robert, 19, shared a photo of himself sitting on his dad’s lap in the driver’s seat of Steve’s ute.
"My dad's ute… it's a special car,” Robert captioned the image, before sharing may more memories he has in it.
"From early memories when Dad would park and let me pretend to drive, to more recently when I took my drivers test in it (and somehow managed not to stall it 😂)," he wrote.
After the childhood photo, he shared a snap of himself in the driver’s seat, driving the car himself this time.
Robert also shared a photo holding his P plates in front of the ute.
"I remember my first solo drive in this car after I got my license – it was to the hospital to meet my niece for the first time, right after she was born. And now, the ute still comes on road trips to this day…", he wrote.
In February 2023 Bindi, 24, took to Instagram to share a tribute for Steve on what would have been his 61st birthday.
"Happy Birthday, Dad," Bindi wrote alongside a sweet photo of her and Steve.
"Thank you for instilling a love for all species, courage to follow my heart and determination to make a difference in the world for wildlife and wild places. Your legacy lives on and the world is forever changed because of your dedication to conservation. Mum, Robert and I love and miss you so much.”
Robert also shared a sweet message to honour their father, "Happy birthday, Dad ❤️," Robert wrote, alongside a photo of Steve cradling him with little Bindi watching on.
Australia Zoo posted a happy image of Steve on a boat, paired with the caption, "Happy birthday to the original Wildlife Warrior 🐊,"
"Countless wildlife, wild places, and people thank you for your message of love🤎.”
Steve Irwin has had a passion for wildlife ever since he was a child. His parents opened a small zoo called the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, which later turned into the famed Australia Zoo.
Steve was very involved in the zoo, he helped with the animals’ daily feeding and care routines. For his sixth birthday, he was gifted a four-metre scrub python. By the age of nine, his father Bob had taught him proper reptile handling techniques, and the wildlife warrior wrested his first crocodile.
Although Steve cherished all animals, it was clear he had a soft spot for crocodiles. Throughout his adolescence and young adult years he volunteered for Queensland's East Coast Crocodile Management program. During that time he caught over 100 crocs, who were then relocated or housed at his family’s park.
In 1991 he took over management of the park, giving it the name Australia Zoo in 1998.
That same year Steve met his wife, Terri, an American naturalist visiting zoos in Australia.
Terri says it was love at first sight, "I thought there was no one like this anywhere in the world. He sounded like an environmental Tarzan, a larger-than-life superhero guy.”
The couple were engaged within four months of dating and got married in 1992 in the US.
For their honeymoon, they went on a trip trapping crocodiles together. A friend of Steve, John Stainton took footage of them working, which later became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter.
The Crocodile Hunter premiered in 1996 and aired for five seasons. By 1999 it premiered in the US and became a worldwide success.
The show aired in 130 countries to over 500 million people. Even the legendary Sir David Attenborough praised Steve for his work in getting people interested in nature, ”He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was. He was a born communicator," he said.
Steve was incredibly committed to the conservation of the environment, "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species," he said.
In 1998 Steve and Terri gave birth to their first child, a baby girl called Bindi.
Steve once said his daughter Bindi was "the reason [he] was put on the Earth”.
In 1999 Steve appeared multiple times on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to promote several of his TV shows over the years.
Steve was often in the US to promote his work and conservation, expressing interest in opening an Australia Zoo outpost in Los Vegas.
After the massive success of the documentary series, the Irwins went on to star in a feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. It co-starred Magda Szubanski and David Wenham.
As Steve was promoting the tour for the Crocodile Hunter film in 2002, Terri and Bindi joined him at the premieres in both the US and Australia.
In 2003, Steve and Terri gave birth to their second child, a son named Robert.
Steve noticeably passed down his love for animals and the environment to his children, with them both involved at Australia Zoo and beyond.
Bindi appeared in several episodes of her father’s shows, including The Crocodile Hunter Diaries which focused on the family and everyday life at Australia Zoo.
Shortly before his death, Steve had planned for his daughter to have her own show called Bindi The Jungle Girl.
It ended up airing a year after his death.
Image credits: Getty/Instagram/Twitter