Photos Of Robert Irwin & Dad Steve That Will Tug Your Heartstrings

Robert Irwin is making a name for himself outside the zoo. The son of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin is undoubtedly synonymous with Australian wildlife, but he shocked American audiences by skillfully shaking his tail feathers on Season 34 of "Dancing with the Stars." After his fifth dance of his "DWTS" tenure, he touched upon losing his dad at a young age. "I feel that he's here in some way, and I hope he's proud," Robert said in a tearful post-show interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Robert's father, Steve, a conservationist and face of the Australian Zoo in Queensland, Australia, shared his love of animals with millions across the globe via his popular television show, " The Crocodile Hunter," where he enthusiastically educated viewers about some of the planet's most dangerous animals. He wrestled crocs, held venomous snakes, and swam with sharks. But on September 4, 2006, the TV star tragically died on the set of his documentary, "Ocean's Deadliest," after succumbing to injuries from an attack by a stingray — an ordinarily tame creature that he had come across countless times.

The loss was profound for the animal-loving community, and especially for the Irwin family — Robert, his mom Terri Irwin, and his sister Bindi Irwin — who still keep Steve's legacy alive at the Australia Zoo. Robert has become something of a Steve mini-me, from working with William, Prince of Wales, on environmental innovation to giving a voice to wildlife causes through social media, something Steve would undoubtedly embrace if he were alive today. Remembering Steve is as important to Robert as saving the planet. Luckily, there are many photos of the father and son to help us all remember their bond — warning, you might shed some tears!

On December 1, 2003, Steve and Terri Irwin welcomed their youngest child, Robert Clarence Irwin. Terri shared a photo of the moment Steve met his son on X (formerly Twitter) 16 years later. In a 2003 interview for Australian Story, Steve admitted that he never dreamt of being a father. "I couldn't really give a rip," he said of his mindset before kids. But after the birth of his daughter, Bindi Irwin, everything changed. In a video posted on Instagram from the day Robert was born, Steve teared up while holding his son, and said, "It's like the whole reason you've been put on earth is to do this."

Steve Irwin's line of work was admired by millions; simultaneously, it stirred up controversy now and then. When Robert Irwin was an infant, his father brought him out to feed the crocodiles during a show at the Australia Zoo. The footage from the event left people concerned, but Steve later assured his fans it was safe, and a necessary lesson for his son. "In front of that crocodile, I was in complete control," he said at the time (via NBC News). "I would be considered a bad parent if I didn't teach my children to be crocodile savvy because they live here, they live in crocodile territory."

On Father's Day in 2022, Robert Irwin, who was only 2 when his father died, shared a throwback photo of himself and dad Steve Irwin on Instagram. "I cherish all the good times with my dad and feel grateful to be able to keep his memory and legacy alive," Robert lovingly wrote in the caption. Legacy is part of the reason Steve built his wildlife empire, according to his son. During an October 2025 episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, Robert explained that he could imagine Steve saying, "I'm not always going to be here, but I'm creating something that you can continue."

Steve Irwin instilled a sense of adventure in his son early on. Robert Irwin gave an example of his father's antics on Instagram in 2022, in a tribute for Steve's birthday. "My earliest memories are my fondest, thanks to you," Robert captioned a photo of him and his father gleefully riding a motorcycle. "Hanging on tight to the handlebars of the motorbike, when you'd take Bindi and I on your morning lap of the zoo — before going to get ice cream for breakfast. Every minute spent with you was a blessing." Robert added that he still rides his dad's old bike in honor of him.

The father-son duo upped the adventure ante when Steve Irwin let his toddler take the wheel of his truck. Steve wasn't alive to see Robert Irwin pass his driving test, but the "I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" co-host took to Instagram to share the memory of him and his father in the "ute." "My dad's ute ... it's a special car," he wrote in the caption. "From early memories when Dad would park and let me pretend to drive, to more recently when I took my drivers test in it ... the ute still comes on road trips to this day."

In the short time Robert Irwin had with his father, he learned a great deal from Steve Irwin, including how to appreciate the natural world. A photo of Steve and Robert holding a frilled lizard at the Australia Zoo is all the evidence to prove it. Robert's own passion for supporting wildlife is how he remembers his dad, but the grief of losing Steve so young still strikes him intensely. "You'll never move on," Robert said of his loss on the podcast "Mental As Anyone." "But it's this shadow that you've always got that eventually, instead of it just being with you, consuming you every day, it walks beside you."

In November 2024, Sydney, Australia's Madame Tussauds museum captured Robert Irwin in wax figure form. However, he wasn't the first in his family to receive the honor; Steve Irwin is also immortalized in wax at the museum, which Robert saw for the first time during the unveiling of his own statue. The uncanny replica of his father brought Robert to tears — and made for an astounding image of the TV personality and his adult son. "That is amazing," a choked-up Robert said in a video from the moment (via TikTok). "This is the first time in a long time that he's not just a picture."