Robert Irwin tears up as he receives emotional message from his late father Steve Irwin on 19th birthday
BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND: Robert Irwin broke down in tears after receiving a special birthday video message from his late father at Australia Zoo on his 19th birthday. Robert was only a two-year-old boy when his father, Steve Irwin, died after being stung by a stingray in 2006 at just 44.
However, experiencing the loss of his father at such a young age did not stop Robert from becoming Steve’s true successor and following the wildlife dream. The tribute video was played during a live event at the Irwin family-owned zoo in Australia. It featured footage of several individuals and Robert’s close ones wishing him a happy birthday in exhilaration as they clapped their hands and sang for the wildlife warrior.
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Towards the end, the clip shows Steve Robert's birth and his hopes that Robert would continue his legacy and become the next crocodile hunter. Steve emphasized the importance of raising children who could follow in his footsteps, stating that it would be "the proudest moment of my life." The special message also found the late father explaining that he is aware that he might die tomorrow while doing meaningful work with wildlife. The video then cuts to Robert fulfilling his father's dream, much like Steve would have wanted.
Moments later the clip is shown on the screen, Robert appears to be in tears as he expresses his gratitude for the privilege of continuing his father's legacy. The Australian zookeeper then hopes that Steve would be proud of him. "It means the absolute world... I just think it's such a privilege, personally and as a family, to continue the legacy of dad," he said. "He gave his life, quite literally, for wildlife conservation and to make the world a better place. I just hope he'd be proud," he said. "And I hope I can find my own way and continue a legacy that is so profound."
Robert was very young when his father was fatally stung by a stingray barb to the heart during the filming of a wildlife documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. The Irwin family has kept Steve's memory alive by continuing his conservation work. "We're also very lucky because through all of dad's amazing documentaries we basically have our life on TV," Robert told ET last October. "So all we have to do is put the DVD in the DVD player and rewind and press play and we can relive these amazing memories. So we are very, very lucky in that respect."