At 21, Robert Irwin stands in the dappled shade of Australia Zoo, a khaki-clad sentinel cradling a wriggling baby crocodile with the same infectious enthusiasm that once defined his father, Steve Irwin. The resemblance is uncanny: the tousled blond hair, the wide-eyed wonder, the unshakeable resolve to protect the planet’s wild heart. But Robert isn’t merely tracing his dad’s footsteps—he’s walking beside Steve’s spirit, channeling the same love for animals, the same fearless heart, and the same mission to safeguard Earth that made the Crocodile Hunter a global icon. “Every time I hold a croc or plant a seed, I feel Dad’s energy pushing me forward,” Robert told Grok News in an exclusive interview at the zoo’s newly unveiled cassowary habitat, his voice steady despite the weight of legacy. “He’d be proud, not just of me, but of what we’re building together.”

Steve Irwin, who died tragically on September 4, 2006, at 44 from a stingray barb to the chest, left a void that seemed impossible to fill. Yet Robert, born Waylon Clarence Irwin on December 1, 2003, has spent his life bridging that gap, turning grief into a global crusade. Today, at 10:41 AM +07 on this crisp Wednesday, October 8, 2025, he’s in the thick of it: overseeing the $5 million cassowary corridor expansion, rallying 100,000 youth through his Wildlife Warriors ambassador program, and prepping for a November Amazon documentary on jaguar poaching. “Dad’s mission was to wake the world up,” Robert said, adjusting his signature Akubra hat. “I’m just turning up the volume.”

The parallels are striking. Steve, a self-taught zookeeper who turned a backyard reptile pen into a 40-hectare conservation powerhouse, lived with a reckless joy—wrestling crocs on live TV, cooing over orphaned joeys, and founding Wildlife Warriors to fund global anti-poaching efforts. His 1990s Animal Planet series, The Crocodile Hunter, drew 500 million viewers, embedding his catchphrase “Crikey!” into pop culture. Robert mirrors that fervor: At six, he co-hosted Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors, tangling with pythons; at 15, he earned an Emmy nod for Crikey! It’s the Irwins, the family’s Netflix/A&E saga. “He’s got Steve’s soul in his veins,” said Wes Mannion, zoo director and Steve’s longtime mate, watching Robert soothe a stressed cassowary. “That same wild love, undiluted.”

Fearlessness defines them both. Steve’s daredevil dives into crocodile jaws—once narrowly escaping a 4-meter beast in 2001—became legend, but it was his fear of inaction that drove him. Robert inherits that boldness: In July 2025, he embedded with Yanomami tribes in the Amazon, dodging gold miners’ threats to expose mercury-ravaged rivers, sparking a Brazilian probe. Back home, he’s pushed for a federal shark-culling ban, echoing Steve’s anti-cruelty stance. “Dad taught me fear’s just fuel,” Robert grinned, recalling a childhood video where Steve wrestled a croc while toddler Robert cheered from Terri’s arms. “I use it to charge harder.”

The mission to protect Earth unites them most. Steve’s legacy, bolstered by Terri Irwin’s stewardship, has raised $200 million for Wildlife Warriors since 2007, funding 500 projects—panda corridors in China, sea turtle hatcheries in Costa Rica. Robert’s amplified that: His “Robert’s Fight for Wildlife” has mobilized young donors for anti-trafficking raids, while the cassowary corridor links rainforests, saving 200 birds. “It’s not about saving one species; it’s about saving the system,” he explained, gesturing to the habitat’s native ferns. “Dad saw the big picture—I’m painting it louder.”

Family fuels the fire. Terri, 61, and Bindi, 27, form the triad’s backbone. Terri’s 2023 memoir, Terri Irwin: Unleashed, chronicled the post-Steve scramble, while Bindi, mom to 2021-born Grace Warrior, drives conservation from the U.S. with husband Chandler Powell. “We’re a pack,” Robert laughed on a May Today show segment, Bindi nodding. “Mum’s the rock, Bindi’s the strategist, I’m the chaos—Dad’s perfect storm.” Their synergy shines at the zoo, now a $100 million biodiversity hub, with Robert co-directing alongside his sister and mom.

Milestones mark his ascent. His April 2025 Dancing with the Stars jive—scoring 27/30 with Witney Carson to howler monkey howls—paid tribute to Steve, binoculars swinging. “For the man who danced with danger,” he dedicated it, Bindi cheering. Offstage, he’s modeled for Bonds underwear, channeling funds to Wildlife Warriors, and hosted I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia (season 11), weaving conservation into survival antics. “Sneaky education,” he winked. His 9 million Instagram followers devour reels—skydiving with eagles, surfing croc-free waves—while a 2025 YouGov poll dubbed him Australia’s most trusted young climate voice.

Grief threads through the triumph. At three, Robert lost Steve mid-filming at the Great Barrier Reef—a moment the family locked away. Now, he sifts home videos, piecing together a father from laughs and lessons. “I feel him in every rescue,” he told People in September, flipping through photos of Steve with toddler Robert amid elephant seals. “Every rant against habitat loss—it’s Dad talking through me.” That connection drives his 2026 docuseries on Sumatra’s anti-poaching units and plans to helm the zoo by 2030.

Fans feel the pride. X posts light up with “Steve’s spirit lives in Robert”—one viral clip of him relocating a croc, narrating with Steve’s gusto, hitting 3 million views. Critics who once questioned the “Irwin brand” now laud his authenticity. “He’s not riding coattails; he’s forging a path with his dad’s heart,” wrote The Australian. As he strides toward the enclosure, croc in tow, Robert’s vow echoes Steve’s archived words: “Kids running the mission—that’s my dream.” Today, at this moment, that dream roars alive—fearless, loving, planetary. Steve would indeed be proud.