Theresa Penelope Raines was born on July 20, 1964, in Eugene, Oregon.[2][6] She has two older sisters, Bonnie and Patricia, and a half-brother, Rolfe.[7] Her father, Clarence Alonzo Raines (1921–2008), served in the U.S. Navy as a radioman on the USS Boise (CL-47) and was a lieutenant for the Eugene Police Department.[7] Her mother, Julia May "Judy" Raines (néeCline; 1926–2014), was a schoolteacher from Youngstown, Ohio.[8]
Irwin in front of spectators at Australia Zoo in 1997
Raines started her own wildlife rehabilitation facility called Cougar Country in 1986,[6] where she educated and released predator mammals such as foxes, raccoons, bears, bobcats, and cougars back into the wild.[11] The facility handled up to 300 animals each year.[12] In 1989, Raines worked as a veterinary technician at an emergency veterinary hospital to further her knowledge on animal care.[12]
Following her husband's death, Irwin was named the sole owner and chairwoman of Australia Zoo.[17] She and the zoo were sued for $2.5 million by a debt collection agency at the time, but the lawsuit was later dismissed in court.[18] From October 2018 to February 2022, Irwin starred in the reality television series Crikey! It's the Irwins alongside her two children.[19] She announced a $8 million wildlife camping project in 2019, which was expected to draw 39,000 visitors each year.[20] The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, a luxury hotel on the grounds of Australia Zoo, opened in 2023.[21][22][23]
Conservation
Irwin expressed support for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and was present at the launching of one of the organization's vessels, which was renamed after her husband.[24][25]
In 2008, Irwin signed on to a three-year research program in correspondence with Australia Zoo supporting the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, funding two US$250,000 research projects on humpback whales.[26] "Learning about whales is part of a bigger picture," she said of the project. "Our oceans are in jeopardy and the more research we gather about whales, the more knowledge we have to help us save, protect and preserve our delicate oceans."[26]
Personal life
Marriage and family
Irwin with her husband, Steve, and his best friend, Wes Mannion.
Raines met conservationist Steve Irwin in 1991 while touring wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Australia; an encounter Irwin later described as "love at first sight".[27] Raines thought "there was no one like this anywhere in the world. [Irwin] sounded like an environmental Tarzan, a larger-than-life superhero guy".[28] They were engaged four months later and were married on June 4, 1992, at the First United Methodist Church of Eugene.[29]
Terri and Steve became grandparents on March 25, 2021, after Bindi gave birth to a daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell.[31] They are teetotalers,[32] and although they were happily married, they did not wear their wedding rings for safety reasons.[33]
Death of Steve Irwin
Irwin and her children were reportedly trekking through Cradle Mountain in Tasmania on the morning of September 4, 2006, when her husband was killed after the barb of a short-tail stingray pierced his chest.[34] He was at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, Queensland at the time taking part in the production of an underwater documentary.[35] A private funeral was held five days later in Caloundra; Steve was buried in a private ceremony at Australia Zoo later that day.[36] A public memorial service took place in Australia Zoo's 5,500-seat Crocoseum on September 30, 2006. It was broadcast live on television in Australia, the U.S., and Asia and garnered over 300 million viewers.[37] Attendees were encouraged to make a donation to Wildlife Warriors.[38]
After the memorial service, the Nine Network aired an exclusive interview between Irwin and television presenter Ray Martin. The special attracted 2.9 million viewers, and Irwin was praised for her natural and eloquent communication.[39] On October 31, 2006, Irwin was invited to the Royal Albert Hall to present a Special Recognition Award to Sir David Attenborough at the British National Television Awards.[40] She cited Attenborough as a great inspiration to her husband during a short speech; he, in turn, praised Steve for introducing new audiences to the natural world.[41]
Michael Barnes, the Queensland State Coroner, reported that authorities handed the original video of Steve's death to Irwin in late December 2006. They also destroyed all copies of the fatal encounter to prevent the footage from being made public.[42] Irwin published her memoir, My Steve, in November 2007, through Simon & Schuster Australia.[43] She became a naturalized citizen of Australia on November 15, 2009, coinciding with the Steve Irwin Day celebrations taking place at Australia Zoo's Crocoseum.[4][44]
Irwin has not dated or been in a romantic relationship since her husband's death, explaning to People in January 2018: "I think it’s wonderful when people who have lost someone find love again, but I’m not personally looking, and I haven’t been on a date in 27 years. In fact, it’s been so long, I’ve had a couple of lovely women ask me out because they figured that’s the case. But I’m content. I have two beautiful kids, a really full plate. I’ve already had my happily ever after."[45]
Honors
In 2006, Irwin was made an honorary Member of the Order of Australia for services to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry.[46][47][48] (Honorary appointments to the Order of Australia is the appointment rank to non-citizens of Australia; this became a substantive appointment when she became an Australian citizen in 2009.)[49]
Irwin won the 2007 Queensland Telstra Business Women's Award.[50]
In 2023, Terri Irwin was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of her exceptional business leadership, her internationally acclaimed contributions to wildlife and habitat conservation, and her significant impact on Australian tourism.[53]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
