Robert Irwin, Steve Irwin.Photo:Paul Archuleta/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Paul Archuleta/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Robert Irwinis celebrating a poignant milestone.
The 19-year-old shared in aTikTok videoon Saturday that the Australia Zoo has a new resident with a very special connection to his late father, wildlife expertSteve Irwin. Robert was overcome with emotion as he spoke about the recent hatching of anIrwin’s turtle, which marked the first time the rare freshwater species was bred in a zoo since Steve discovered a female specimen during a crocodile-hunting trip on the Burdekin River in Queensland in 1990.
“This is one of the highlights of my entire life and one of the most special moments ever for Australia Zoo. This is the very first Elseya irwini, or Irwin’s turtle, ever hatched for any zoological facility anywhere in the world,” he explained.
The video showed Robert holding the tiny turtle in his palm while standing over a small pond at the zoo. “Right now, he’s getting in his first swim in a brand new pond,” he explained. “This is a little slice of the wild. Let’s get him in the water.”
“It’s just so surreal,” he said, he voice wavering. “And all those stories from Dad about just how amazing and beautiful they are… I don’t get emotional that much, but I just know Dad would be really proud, Dad would be stoked,” he said.
In the caption for his video, Robert also noted that “a rare and unique species under threat in the wild has just been given a second chance.”
Steve Irwin.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
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“My dad’s ute… it’s a special car. 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, alongside a photo of himself as a young boy holding the car’s steering wheel while sitting on Steve’s lap.
Robert’s post also included two recent photos of him with the car, which he continues to drive now. “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,” he added, referring to the March 2021 birth of Bindi’s daughter,Grace Warrior. “And now, the ute still comes on road trips to this day…”
source: people.com
