Anyone who loves nature and animals definitely knows the man who was known as the “Crocodile Hunter”. Steve Irwin’s life was fun to watch – he never shied away from impressing viewers with his dangerous stunts, be it snakes or crocodiles.
Still dressed in his khaki shirt and shorts, Steve had an infectious personality. Passionate about his work, he was able to attract his audience with a mixture of passion, education and humor. He was never shy to make fun of himself. Steve was the complete package and was loved by everyone until the day he died.
Steve’s full portfolio includes zookeeper, wildlife advocate, TV personality, actor and all-around comedian. He is best known for his iconic show The Crocodile Hunter, which quickly became his calling card. The show was massively successful in Australia before it was picked up by Animal Planet, an American cable network. From there, it garnered impressive international success and viewership, peaking in over 200 countries.
Steve continued to build his catalog and eventually turned it into a movie with films such as Eddie Murphy’s 2001 hit Dr. Dolittle 2 and he and his wife’s independent film a year later, The Huntsman. crocodiles: collision course. This film made $33 million on a budget of $12 million. The pair have also hosted other shows centered around their work. Crocodiles, newspapers of crocodile hunters and new breed veterinarians published chronologically from 2001 to 2006.
Irwin’s commercial and television successes are too numerous to mention. He was a guest several times on The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno. He also appeared in a 2000 FedEx advertisement and another for The Ghan, a passenger train that traveled between Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide.
He also lent his voice as an elephant seal named Trev in the 2005 animated film Happy Feet. The film was dedicated to him as he died during post-production.
His passion for endangered animals and his concern for the loss of their habitat through land clearing were evident. He founded Warriors Wildlife Worldwide, originally known as the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, an independent charity. There was also the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund, in memory of her mother, and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Iron Bark Station.
Irwin even has a turtle and land snail named after him. He discovered this new species of turtle during a fishing trip with this father in 1997 and named it Elseya irwini (Irwin’s turtle). The recently discovered breathing land snail has been named Crikey Steveirwini, a mixture of his name and a popular catchphrase.
Steve Irwin received numerous nominations and awards before and after his death. These included;
- the Centenary Medal for service to global conservation and contributions to Australian tourism in 2001.
- Tourism Export of the Year, 2004
- Nomination for Australian of the Year, 2004
- Posthumously Adjunct Professor, from the School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland in 2007.
- Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of his contribution to global entrepreneurship in business and wildlife conservation, which has enhanced Queensland’s international reputation, 2009.
- He was posthumously awarded the Queensland Greats Awards in 2015
- Received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2017
Steve Irwin’s Parents
Steve was born in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on February 22, 1962. His father, Bob Irwin, who was actually Irish, according to Steve, was an expert in herpetology. His mother, Lyn Irwin, with whom Steve shares the same birth date, was a wildlife rehabilitator.
Steve, who attended Landsborough State School and Caloundra State High School, would later move to Queensland with his parents. There, her parents, Bob and Lyn, created a small animal park focusing on reptiles, such as snakes and crocodiles.
Bob began exposing Steve to these dangerous animals at a tender age. It all started with minor chores, like feeding the animals, as well as care and maintenance responsibilities. When he was six, his dad remarkably gifted him a 12-foot-long rubbing python. At the age of nine, using everything his father had taught him about reptiles, he wrestled his first crocodile under his father’s watchful eye.
He would go on to catch over 100 crocodiles as a volunteer for Queensland East’s Crocodile Management Program. The majority of them have been relocated, but some have found a new home in the family park. In 1991 he took over the park from his father and in 1998 he changed the name to Australian Zoo.
Steve Irwin, family, children, wife
Steve met his wife, Terri Raines in 1991. They got into the game immediately and were married the following year on June 4, 1992. They didn’t think it was wise to wear wedding rings, as it could constitute a danger to themselves or to the animals.
Terri was an American naturalist who at the time visited wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Australia. Her journey took her to the zoo where she met Steve. She described him as one of the larger-than-life types of the Tarzan environment. They spent their honeymoon wrestling and catching crocodiles together. This adventure later became the first episode of their hit TV documentary, The Crocodile Hunter.
Their union produced, a daughter Bindi Sue Irwin in 1998 and a son, Robert Clarence Irwin, born in 2003. Bindi Sue is named after a saltwater crocodile and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, two of Steve’s favorite animals. Their second, Robert was named after Steve’s father, Bob Lyn.
After Steven’s death, his daughter Bindi continued in her father’s footsteps. She even had her own show airing on Discovery Kids, Animal Planet and ABC1 in Australia called Bindi the Jungle Girl.
Death of Steve and cause of death
On September 4, 2006, Steve was at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas in Queensland. He had participated in the production of the documentary series, The Deadliest in the Ocean. During one of his breaks, he had decided to go scuba diving with a member of the film crew to film footage for his daughter’s television show. Bindi the Jungle Girl
While trying to film a two meter long stingray from behind as he swam, he suddenly stood up and stabbed Steve. He administered over a hundred blows, piercing his heart with his beard in the process. He received CPR and rushed to the Low Isles, where he was confirmed dead.
A private ceremony was held at Caloundra on the 5th days later and he was buried the same day at the Australian Zoo. Steve Irwin’s burial site was inaccessible to tourists who visited the zoo after his death.