«"Wow!" was a common saying of Stephen Robert Irwin. This catchphrase, accompanied by an image of him in khaki pants, was popularized worldwide by the television series Steve «The Crocodile Hunter» , which enjoyed enormous success from 1997 to 2007. The Australian naturalist, conservationist and herpetologist died at the young age of 44 while filming a documentary called« The deadliest in the ocean.". Here are some little-known interesting facts from the life of Steve Irwin that characterize him as a person.
1. Steve Irwin was born on his mother's birthday and grew up surrounded by animals as his parents owned a reptile park.
Steve Irwin was born on February 22, 1962, in Essendon, Victoria, Australia, to Lyn and Bob Irwin. His mother was also born on the same day. Irwin's father was a wildlife expert with a keen interest in herpetology, and his mother worked as a wildlife rehabilitator. Of Irish descent, Irwin moved to Queensland in 1970 with his parents, where they founded a reptile park called Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park, which was renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park in 1982. He grew up around reptiles and crocodiles, which explains his familiarity with them. He participated in various activities at the park, such as feeding, caring for, and maintaining the animals. (source)
2. Steve Irwin was given a python for his birthday when he was six years old, and had his first encounter with crocodiles at the age of nine.
Because his parents were knowledgeable about reptiles, Irwin was given a non-venomous bush python at the age of six. At 12 feet (about 3.6 meters) long, the bush python is one of the six largest snakes in the world. His father taught him about crocodiles from an early age, and when he was just nine, under his father's supervision, he bravely fought a crocodile for the first time. As a child, he was often late for school because he would ask his mother to stop along the way so he could rescue various animals. (1, 2)
3. As a young man, Steve, working as a volunteer coordinator in Queensland, captured over 100 crocodiles. He rehabilitated them at his family's park, which he later renamed "Australia Zoo.".
As a young man, Steve began volunteering with a crocodile management program on Queensland's east coast. There, he captured over 100 crocodiles, relocated them, and rehabilitated them at his family's reptile park. In 1991, at the age of 29, he took over the family park and renamed it Australia Zoo in 1998. . (source)
In 1991, when Irwin took over the family park, he met Terri Raines, an American naturalist who was visiting his zoo. They fell in love at first sight and married. Terri said Irwin was like "an ecological Tarzan, a superhero who exceeded all expectations." They married the following year, on June 4, 1992. Unlike most couples, they refused to wear wedding rings, as it could be dangerous for the animals they worked with and for themselves. (source)
5. During their honeymoon, the Irwins caught crocodiles and made a wildlife documentary about it, which later became a famous TV series. «The Crocodile Hunter, which was viewed by more than 500 million people.
Another unusual feature of this couple was that during their honeymoon, they went crocodile hunting and catching them. John Stainton, an Australian producer and director, filmed their adventures, which became so popular that a TV series was created based on them. «"The Crocodile Hunter". In 1996, the first episode of the series aired on Australian television, and other countries followed suit. The series was broadcast in approximately 130 countries and reached 500 million people worldwide. In 2007, after Steve's death, , Animal Planet TV channel completed the show "« Crocodile Hunter »" episode titled "Steve's Last Adventure," which contained three hours of footage showing Irwin in various locations such as the Himalayas, Borneo, the Yangtze River, etc. (source)
6. Steve Irwin's daughter, Bindi Sue, is named after his two favorite animals: a crocodile named Bindi and a dog named Sui. Irwin's 15-year-old son, Robert, is an award-winning nature photographer.
Terry and Steve Irwin have a daughter named Bindi Sue, whom Irwin described as "the reason I was put on Earth." Named after Irwin's pet saltwater crocodile, Bindi, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Sui, she is now an actress, conservationist, model, singer, and dancer. Irwin's son, Robert Irwin, is now a photographer, conservationist, and television presenter. His photograph of a spider eating a frog, titled "Catch," won the 11-14 year-old category in the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in London in 2018. Since Steve's death, Terry, Bindi, and Robert have continued his work. They co-star in the TV series Animal Planet «"Crikey! It's the Irwins » (1, 2) .
7. Irvin was interested in mixed martial arts and trained in gaidojutsu under Greg Jackson. He was also a talented surfer.
Steve Irwin was an avid mixed martial artist and trained under Greg Jackson in the Gaidojutsu wrestling and fighting system. He was also a cricket fan and during a visit to Sri Lanka, he remarked, "I love cricket. It's a shame we have to catch snakes now," after playing cricket with local children. He was also a fan of the Essendon Bombers, an Australian Football League team, and the Wallabies national rugby union team. In 1999, Irwin and his team were in a remote area of Namibia looking for gas to watch the 1999 Rugby World Cup Final. This was featured in an episode of the behind-the-scenes program "« "The Crocodile Hunter" (source)
8. In 2003, while filming a documentary, Steve Irwin learned that two divers were missing. He and his entire crew stopped filming and launched a two-day search and rescue operation to find the divers. He saved the life of one of them.
American diver Scott Jones owes his life to Steve Irwin and his crew. In 2003, Jones and his girlfriend, Katie Vrooman, went on a diving expedition in the Sea of Cortez off the coast of Mexico. Vrooman was not rescued, but Jones was found by Irwin and his film crew, who were filming a documentary in the area. Irwin's crew heard an SOS signal about two missing divers, and Irwin decided to launch a search and rescue operation, abandoning the filming of his own. Irwin himself rescued Jones when he spotted him dehydrated on a rocky outcrop and swam to him. (source)
9. Steve, usually fearless, was afraid of parrots.
It's hard to imagine, but the "Crocodile Hunter" was afraid of parrots. In an interview with the magazine Scientific American Steve Irwin said the only animals he was ever uncomfortable with were parrots. Not snakes, not crocodiles, not sharks—but parrots. In an interview, Irwin said, "Yes, for some reason, parrots have to bite me. That's their job. I don't know why. They almost tore my nose off. I've been bitten very badly by parrots several times." After his death, rare footage surfaced of him wanting nothing to do with hippos, indicating he may have been afraid of them as well. (1, 2)
10. Irwin made a cameo appearance in the film «Doctor Dolittle 2» in 2001, and also voiced an elephant seal named Trevor in the cartoon «Happy Feet» in 2002.
В in the film "Doctor Dolittle 2"« Irwin plays himself. The plot of the film, in which Irwin appears, tells how an alligator warns Doctor Dolittle that he knows he intends to catch and attack him. Doctor Dolittle fails to warn Irwin in time. Here's the dialogue:
«"Irwin: I'm here with Doctor Dolittle, who can talk to animals. We're going to catch this alligator right behind us. The secret to catching this guy is to wrap your arms around his neck..."»
Alligator: Hey, Dolittle, I'll let Steve turn around and finally break his arm!
Doctor Dolittle: Steve, I think he knows we're here.
Irwin: Quiet, I don't want to ruin the element of surprise, NOW!
Irwin: "Wow! My hand!"«
In the animated film «Happy Feet» , Steve Irwin voiced Trev, the elephant seal, in 2005 for the 2006 film The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The film was dedicated to him, as he passed away during post-production. For the DVD release of the same film, a scene was restored in which Irwin voices the albatross, essentially playing himself. His only major feature film role was in the 2002 film «The Crocodile Hunter: Clash, where he is depicted as himself. (1, 2)
11. Irwin acquired vast tracts of land, which he described as "like national parks," in Vanuatu, Australia, Fiji and the United States to preserve endangered species.
Caring for the welfare of animals, Irwin dedicated his entire life to them. He founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, later renamed Global Wildlife Warriors, and helped establish Crocodile Rescue International and the Iron Bark Station wildlife rehabilitation center. He also established the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund in memory of his mother. To promote wildlife conservation and show people they can make a difference, he acquired large tracts of land in Vanuatu, Fiji, the United States, and Australia, designating them "national parks.". (source)
12. A rare snail, a ship, a species of turtle, a street, a parasite found in koalas, a gorilla, and an asteroid are named after Steve Irwin.
In 1997, when Steve and his father went fishing, he discovered a new species of turtle, named "« Elsea irwini». In 2009, a new species of air-breathing land snail was named in his honor.« Crikey steveirwini». In 2007, the Rwandan government named a baby gorilla after him. In July 2007, the Australian government announced that a 334,000-acre national park in northern Queensland would be named in his honor. That same year, a road passing by Australia Zoo, was named "Steve Irwin Way."« Trypanosoma irwini» — a parasite found in koalas — is also named after him. When an asteroid was discovered in 2001, it was named "57567 Crikey" in his honor. (1, 2, 3)
13. He received several awards during his life and after his death. In 2018, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2001, Irwin was awarded the Australian Government's Commemorative Medal for his efforts in conservation and tourism development. In 2004, he was nominated for Australian of the Year, and that same year, he was named Queensland's Australian of the Year. Following his death, the University of Queensland's School of Integrative Biology also awarded him an adjunct professorship. On June 22, 2017, it was announced that Irwin would be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the unveiling ceremony took place on April 26, 2018. (source)
14. When Steve died while filming a documentary, he was offered a state funeral. However, his father declined, stating that Steve wanted to be remembered as "an ordinary guy.".
Steve Irwin died on September 4, 2006, while filming the documentary« The Ocean's Deadliest Inhabitants» After an accident with a stingray, his last words were, "I'm dying." Thousands visited the Australia Zoo to pay their last respects, and special tributes appeared on several platforms, such as Animal Planet and CNN. Then-Prime Minister John Howard said that "Australia has lost a wonderful and brilliant son." Howard and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie suggested a state funeral for the family, but the family considered it inappropriate. His father, Bob Irvine, said Steve would have preferred to be remembered as "an ordinary guy." After his death, flags on the Sydney Harbor Bridge were lowered. He was buried at his own Australia Zoo. (source)
15. Irwin, whose efforts to conserve wildlife led to him being dubbed a "modern-day Noah", was inspired by Sir David Attenborough, the naturalist and television presenter.
Mark Townend, CEO of the RSPCA in Queensland, called Irwin a "modern-day Noah" in the context of his wildlife conservation efforts after his death. Terri Irwin, Steve's widow, credited Sir David Attenborough with inspiring him when she presented him with a lifetime achievement award. Attenborough said Irwin was a "natural communicator" who showed people how fascinating the natural world is. Sir David Attenborough is an English naturalist and broadcaster, best known for his presenting and writing skills, co-creating the BBC Natural History Unit's Life series, which explores the Earth's flora and fauna. (1, 2)