The world lost one of its most beloved conservationists and TV personalities in 2006, after Steve Irwin, the iconic star of The Crocodile Hunter, was tragically killed by a stingray.
But his legacy has lived on, both through the fans who grew up watching his wildlife series, and his family, who has kept up his important conservation work at the Australia Zoo, working to protect native wildlife.
And now every year, the legend is honored with his own holiday: Steve Irwin Day, held every November 15.
The day is described as “an international and annual event to celebrate the extraordinary life of the one and only Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.” It includes a day of events at the Australia Zoo honoring Steve’s life and legacy, while aiming to raise money for Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors’ conservation and preservation work.
In honor of the occasion, Irwin’s children Bindi and Robert — who have both followed in Steve’s footsteps as “wildlife warriors” and TV personalities — took the opportunity to share tributes to their late dad on social media.
Bindi, now 25 and a parent herself, shared an old photo of her as a young child hugging her famous dad.
“To the world, he will be remembered as the greatest Wildlife Warrior. To our family, he will be remembered as our world,” Bindi wrote on Instagram.
Robert also shared a post that will bring a tear to the eye of many Crocodile Hunter fans: in an old video, Steve shares how he would like to be remembered.
“If there’s one thing that I, Steve Irwin, would want to be remembered for, is be remembered for passion and enthusiasm,” Steve says in the clip. “Conservation is my job. My whole persona. My life, revolves around that. So do my friends, family, colleagues — everyone I know is involved in conservation.”
“If I can’t get animals into people’s hearts, there’ll be no conservation. There’ll be absolutely no love for our wild animals. And that would be devastating. Everything would just suffer and this would be a very ugly world.”
Seventeen years after his tragic passing, as people around the world celebrate Steve’s life and legacy, it is clear that he got his wish to be remembered as a passionate, enthusiastic voice for conservation who truly did get animals into people’s hearts.
“He was one man who changed the world forever and continues to inspire the next generations,” Robert wrote, calling Steve Irwin Day “a day to remember our dad, the greatest Wildlife Warrior on the planet.”
Australia Zoo also shared a sweet, funny throwback pic of Steve Irwin with two lizards on his head.
“The original Wildlife Warrior,” they wrote. Happy Steve Irwin Day.”
We still miss the late great Steve Irwin, a true wildlife warrior and animal hero, but his legacy is still going strong over 17 years later ❤️
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