Robert Irwin looks exactly like dad Steve in new photo with a koala: 'Your dad lives on in you'
With every passing day, Robert Irwin is turning out to be a spitting image of his late father, Steve Irwin — a fact that fans were quick to point out after the 16-year-old posted a picture of himself cuddling a koala on Tuesday, February 11.
In the Instagram post, Robert was seen lovingly leaning his head against the adorable critter while he cradled it in his hands. The photo reminded 'Crocodile Hunter' fans of a similar picture of Steve hugging a koala bear close to his chest back in the 2000s.
Both father and son sported the Irwin family's trademark khaki uniforms in the photos taken decades apart. The duo even wore leather wristwatches on their left hands, matching even the last detail.
"Spitting image of Steve," one fan commented beneath Robert's photo, while another exclaimed, "I thought this was a photo of your father at first glance!"
Yet a third noted: "At a quick glance I thought this was a picture of your Dad!! So glad your Dad lives on in you!"
Robert, a wildlife photographer himself, was just three years old when he lost his dad. Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland.
Since then, he, along with his mother, Terry, and his elder sister, Bindi, has continued Steve's legacy by being avid animal lovers and working with the Australian Zoo to help in the conservation of wildlife.
Last year, ahead of the premiere of the Animal Planet show 'Crikey! It's the Irwins' Robert gave a mature speech about his passion for wildlife.
"We never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of every day," the teenager said, Daily Mail reported. "But I think for me, the wildlife work that I get to do, it's what I live for. It's what I love, it's my passion, it's what dad was passionate about, it's what my family is passionate about."
