Nearly twenty years after the heartbreaking loss of his father, the legendary Steve Irwin, Robert Irwin continues to carry the Crocodile Hunter’s spirit with him — not as a shadow, but as a guiding light.
Now 21, Robert says the bond he shares with his dad hasn’t faded with time — it’s deepened. “As I start to reach the same sort of milestones that he did as a young bloke growing up, I feel closer to him in a way. I really do,” he confessed in an emotional interview.
Each milestone — from his growing career in conservation to his Dancing With the Stars debut — brings waves of reflection. “There are moments where I’ll stop and think, ‘Wow… this is something Dad would’ve loved.’”
For Robert, the memories don’t just live in the past — they come alive through the countless hours of Crocodile Hunter footage he still discovers to this day. “I’ll often come across archive footage that I haven’t seen before,” he said softly. “And all of a sudden, his memory just starts flooding back.”
That footage, he says, reminds him not just of the wildlife warrior the world knew — but of the gentle, funny, and fearless father who shaped his soul.
“He was larger than life,” Robert shared. “But at home, he was just Dad — the guy who made me laugh, who showed me how to love animals and people equally.”
As the years pass, the young Irwin has turned that pain into purpose — continuing his father’s mission at Australia Zoo and inspiring millions who grew up watching Steve’s adventures.
“I think that’s what keeps me grounded,” he added. “Knowing that every animal we save, every person we educate — Dad’s still part of that.”
Robert’s words struck hearts across the world, reminding everyone that legacies like Steve Irwin’s never truly end. They live on — in passion, in purpose, and in the beating heart of a son who still feels his father’s presence in every wild, beautiful moment
