We’ve combined 17 things most people didn’t know about Steve Irwin.
1. He discovered a new species of turtle.
Steve has discovered a new species of turtles, and they are now named ”Elseya Irwin”. The species is quite aggressive, unlike their discoverer, who was a very friendly Australian.
2. He had a son named Robert.
Robert Clarence Irwin was born on December 1, 2003. He loved his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Robert is now an Australian television personality and a conservationist, along with his family.
He was invested as an ambassador of Scouts Australia, the largest scouting organization in the country. On Australia Zoo TV, Robert has his own channel.
3. He said several quotes that are still remembered today.
Every time Steve opened his mouth, people smiled. He knew how to entertain, and some things he said are still remembered today. There are two memorable quotes of him, and they are:
“Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first.”
“I have a message for my fans. Whatever you want to do in this world is achievable. The most important thing that I’ve found, that perhaps you could use, is to be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you’ll be a winner.”
4. He had a daughter named after his crocodile.
Bindi Sue Irwin was born on July 24, 1998, and was the first child of Steve. She got named after his crocodile and is one of the reasons why he was always so happy.
Nowadays, Bindi is an Australian television personality and an actress. She runs the Australia Zoo with her family and follows various conservationist activities.
5. The cause of death is an injury caused by a stingray.
While filming a documentary for a show on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Steve died after being injured by a short-tailed stingray. The entire world was shocked to find out that the crocodile hunter was no longer with us.
Governments, non-profit organizations, and fans worldwide went through grief and sadness when the Australian icon left the world. Steve Irvin’s cause of death was tragic.
6. We don’t know exactly where he is buried.
His family insisted on keeping the funeral simple even though the Australian government offered a state funeral for the crocodile hunter. His body arrived at the Australia Zoo, and many believe he was buried there.
His wife said that Steve had specific wishes for after he died, and she wanted to fulfill them. Therefore, only a handful of people know where he is buried. However, there was a big memorial on September 20, 2006.
7. His birthday is on February 22
Every year we remember the crocodile hunter on February 22. We calculate what age he would celebrate if the unfortunate accident never happened. As of 2022, he would have been 60 years old.
His birthday is different from the official Steve Irwin’s day on November 15.
8. His last words were ”I’m dying.”
The crew quickly realized that there was something wrong with Steve once he got stung by the stingray. As they rushed towards him and tried to save him, he calmly looked up and said ”I’m dying”.
Once they got him on the main boat, the paramedics tried to resuscitate Steve for more than an hour. However, he was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
9. He dedicated his entire life to the Australia Zoo.
The Australia Zoo is located just one hour away from Brisbane. Situated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, this zoo is run by the Irwin family. A professional team of passionate conservationists delivers animal experiences for their visitors.
The vision of Steve and Terri was always to make Australia Zoo the biggest and the best one in the world. Today, the Irwin family continues to pursue this goal.
10. The Irwin family is the most known one in Australia.
This family of 4 members is known for creating movements for:
- saving the environment
- protecting nature
- and ensuring the well-being of animals.
Steve grew up loving all wildlife, especially reptiles. He often arrived late to school because he wanted to rescue lizards off the road. Eventually, he became a television celebrity that spread awareness about the environment.
Terri Raines was his wife, born in the USA on July 20, 1964. Her father drove trucks and would often bring animals home that were injured on the road. It sparked an interest in Terri, and her desire to help animals appeared at a very early age.
Bindi Sue is their first child, a passionate wildlife conservationist. She is determined and destined to make a positive difference on this planet.
Robert is their second child and was born on December 1, 2003. He is a rising television celebrity, just like his father was. He loves wildlife photography, nature, and teaching people about animals.
11. Terri Raines was his only wife.
She was born in Oregon and started working for an animal rehabilitation center at the age of 22. She met with Steve in 1991 when she toured wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Australia.
Eventually, they fell in love and married in 1992. Terri helped him on several projects and participated in their unconventional television nature documentary series.
12. His parents are Bob Irwin and Lyn Hakainsson.
Robert Eric Irwin was born on June 8, 1939, and is an Australian naturalist and former zookeeper. He is known for working with apex predators and reptiles.
Robert married Lyn Hakainsson, and together they had three children. One of them was Steve Irwin, who spent his childhood rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife along with his sisters.
13. There is no autopsy report available.
Some sources report that the death resulted from cardiac tamponade. Paramedics that offered first aid to Steve after he got stung by the stingray did their best to resuscitate him. Eventually, he died on the spot.
14. Bindi was a young girl while Robert was just an infant when they lost their father
In 2006 when Steve Irwin lost his life in an unfortunate accident, Bindi was just 8 years old while Robert was only 3 years old. They were too young to comprehend the loss of their father, but the Irwin family was always united.
Their mother, Terri, took care of them and raised them well. Now both children follow in their father’s footsteps and are becoming television celebrities.
15. The stinger penetrated his thoracic wall, causing massive trauma.
According to the witness of the incident, the stingray suddenly appeared before him and stabbed him with its tail in just a matter of seconds. The exact count is impossible to determine since it was done so quickly.
At first, Irwin thought he only had a punctured lung. Unfortunately, the stingray’s barb struck directly into his heart. It caused him to bleed out.
16. As a teenager, he learned how to fight and handle crocodiles.
During his teen years, the crocodile hunter was trained by his father. He educated him on reptiles from an early age. He spent most of his time working as a volunteer for Queensland’s East coast Crocodile Management program and captured over 100 crocodiles.
These crocodiles were relocated while some of them were housed at his family’s park. In 1991 Steve took over the management of this park, which later got renamed Australia Zoo.
17. Tommy Donovan said he wanted him to keep filming as he was dying.
Tommy Donovan knew that steve wanted everything recorded.
People have an obsession with wildlife stories like Crocodile Dundee, and Steve’s story is no exception. He truly helped get helped interested in the wild. The crocodile hunter’s death was truly tragic.
