Bindi Irwin Reveals Sad New Details About Her Father Steve's Death
Steve Irwin's legacy as a wildlife conservationist continues 15 years after his death. The television star, known around the world as the "Crocodile Hunter," died in 2006 after getting pierced in the heart by the barb of a stingray. He was passionate about wildlife and educating the public on issues surrounding the conservation of animals, according to Australia Zoo. His parents founded the Beerwah Reptile Park when he was 8 years old, which was changed to the Australia Zoo in 1998. In 1992, Steve married Terri Raines, who shared his love for animals, and they had two children, Bindi and Robert.
The rest of the Irwin family strives to carry on Steve's work, especially his daughter, Bindi. In November of 2020, the "Crikey! It's the Irwins" star told CBS News that the family is "incredibly grateful" to have the "unique opportunity to be able to do what we love." She also feels appreciative of the opportunity to educate "people on how to make a difference in the world." When Steve died, Bindi was just 8 years old, which is why people were touched when she spoke at his memorial service. "I don't want Daddy's passion to ever end," Bindi said at the time, adding, "I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did." It seems that Bindi has been able to accomplish just this.
In an appearance on the podcast "What About Death!?" in December, Bindi revealed previously unknown details about the time following her father's death.
Losing her father was the 'hardest thing' Bindi Irwin has gone through
Earlier in December, Bindi Irwin spoke on an episode of the podcast "What About Death!?", in which she gave details about her experience of losing her father, Steve Irwin, when she was a child (via Daily Mail). Following his death, she decided to start writing down her feelings in a journal to help process the grief. Bindi commented that this allowed her not to "wallow in sadness anymore." Her 8-year-old self chose to "find the strength that dad had and continue on," despite the loss being the "hardest thing" she had ever gone through.
Luckily, her father served as her role model and she was able to heal from his loss by drawing on the lessons he had taught her and the incredible person he had been. When he died, the now mom-of-one thought to herself, "I'm going to stand up and ... be strong and I'm going to take all of my emotion and channel it into something good."
This past September, the wildlife conservationist paid tribute to her father on Instagram on the 15th anniversary of his death. She posted a photo of her then-five-month-old daughter, Grace Warrior, dressed in a uniform for the Australia Zoo, which was founded by the Irwin family. A second photo captured Bindi and Steve collecting hermit crabs on a beach. In the accompanying caption, Bindi wrote that her father is Grace's "guardian angel now," who is "the most special part" of her life.