Robert Clarence Irwin (born 1 December 2003)[1] is an Australian conservationist, television presenter, zookeeper, wildlife photographer, and actor. He is the son of Steve Irwin, and is often noted by fans to share similarities with his late father.[2] Irwin currently co-hosts the Network 10 reality program I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here alongside Julia Morris. He previously hosted Robert's Real Life Adventures, a program on his family zoo's internal television network, and the Discovery Kids Channel television series Wild But True as well as co-creating the book series Robert Irwin: Dinosaur Hunter. He starred on the Animal Planet series Crikey! It's the Irwins with his mother, Terri, and sister, Bindi, from 2018–2022.
Irwin works at the Australia Zoo, where he is involved in activities that his late father originally did, such as wrestling crocodiles, handling snakes and feeding the zoo's animals. In September 2024, Irwin and Nomzamo Mbatha became the first two Earthshot Prize Global Ambassadors.[3]
Early life
Robert Clarence Irwin was born on 1 December 2003 in Buderim, Queensland, the younger of two children and the only son of Steve and Terri Irwin. His first and middle names are named in honour of both of his paternal and maternal grandfathers, Bob Irwin and Clarence Raines.[4] His father died from a stingray injury to the heart while filming an underwater documentary when Robert was two years old. Robert and his sister, Bindi Irwin, were homeschooled at Australia Zoo following their father's death.[5] He is a dual citizen of Australia and the United States. His ancestry is English, with Irish and Swedish on his father's side.[6]
During a public show one month after Robert was born, his father carried him in his arm while hand-feeding a chicken carcass to a 3.8-metre (12ft 6in)saltwater crocodile. Robert was close to the crocodile, and the incident sparked comparisons in the press to Michael Jackson's dangling of his younger son, Prince Michael Jackson II (Bigi), outside a German hotel window.[7] The incident prompted the Queensland Government to change its crocodile-handling laws, banning children and untrained adults from entering crocodile enclosures.[8] However, special dispensation is granted to a child who has met a very strict set of guidelines and training requirements. Per The Sydney Morning Herald, "The only time a child will be able to enter an enclosure is under a strict, long-term training program which ensures safety controls."[8] In 2012, at age 8 years and nine months, and after extensive training and under expert supervision, Irwin was allowed to feed freshwater crocodiles for the first time,[9] whose males max out at about 3 metres (9.8ft).[10]
In 2013, Irwin released a series of books, titled Dinosaur Hunter, which he co-authored with Lachlan Creag and Jack Wells.[14]
In 2015, he appeared as a guest on the British wildlife series Ten Deadliest Snakes in the episode focused on Australia's venomous snakes. He guided presenter Nigel Marven in the billabong of Australia Zoo to look for a red-bellied black snake.
Irwin was runner-up in the junior category of the 2016 Australian GeographicNature Photographer of the Year competition.[15][16] Irwin is also a photography contributor to the Australia Zoo Crikey magazine.[17] He uses his love for photography to help raise awareness about wildlife conservation. He has also raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Irwins' non-profit organization Crocodile Diaries by auctioning canvas prints of his work at events worldwide. He has also met with world leaders such as His Majesty King Charles III to discuss the protection of natural habitat.[17]
Irwin has embarked upon many photography expeditions around the globe[17]
On 6 April 2017, Irwin was invested as a member and ambassador of Scouts Australia, formalising a partnership between the organisation and Australia Zoo. The partnership aims to encourage Australia's young people to become involved with wilderness and conservation.[21][22] He has also given various interviews to magazines for teenagers as a current reference such as Vanity.[23]
On Australia Zoo TV, Irwin appears on his own channel.[24]
In 2020, he guest starred in the Bluey episode "The Quiet Game",[25] voicing a dingo retail clerk named Alfie.
In February 2022, during filming for an episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins, Irwin had to make an emergency escape from a crocodile enclosure after an overzealous 3.7-metre-long (12ft), 350-kilogram (770lb) saltwater crocodile, named Casper, ignored the food Irwin was offering him and instead made a beeline for Irwin himself. Irwin managed to scale the enclosure walls just in time and avoided injury.[26][27][28]
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