We'll miss you Steve

Stephen Robert Irwin was born to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Victoria in February 1962. The Irwin family moved to Queensland in 1970 to start a small reptile park at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast. In 1992 Bob adn Lyn retired, turning over management to their Steve.

Living in the reptile park later on named Australia Zoo, Steve grew up with animals of all kinds. His 6th birthday present was what he had always wanted - his very own scrub python!

Steve's father taught him everything there was to know about reptiles. This father and son's proud boast is that every crocodile in their Zoo (the numbering some 100 animals) was either caught by their bare hands or bred and raised in their Zoo.

Since 1991, Australia Zoo has flourished and expanded under Steve's guidance. In 1990 a chance reunion with his friend, television producer John Stainton, filming in the Zoo for a TV commercial, gave Steve the opportunity to show his diverse animal talents to the world when they both took a punt and make the first documentary, "The Crocodile Hunter" in 1992.

In June 1992, Steve married Terri Raines from Oregon USA. They had met a few months earlier when Terri visited the Zoo whilst on holidays in Australia.

Steve filmed over 70 episodes of "The Crocodile Hunter", 53 episodes of "Croc Files", 43 episodes of "Croc Diaries" and television series called "The New Breed Vets" released in 2005.

Steve had the greatest respect and understanding for all animals - something that was instilled into him by his family for all of his life.

Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter", died tragically on the 4th September 2006 whilst filming a television documentary called 'Ocean's Deadliest'. He was snorkelling off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia when he swam too close to a stingray and unfortunately the stingray's barb punctured his chest and caused him to die. He was 44.

John Stainton said "The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet. He died doing what he loves best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. Steve would have said, 'Crocs Rule!'"