Steve Irwin was a pioneer in the field of animal conservation in Australia and across the world. Inspiring millions with his TV show, The Crocodile Hunter, as well as his ownership of Australia Zoo, Irwin encouraged generations of people to take an interest in the natural world. Sadly, Steve Irwin passed away in 2006, but his legacy lives on, and we celebrate his commitment to wildlife today – on Steve Irwin Day! Let’s look at some ways we can learn from Steve and his life’s mission.
Passion for wildlife
Steve came from a family of wildlife lovers. His father, Bob, was a wildlife expert with an interest in herpetology and his mother, Lyn, was a wildlife rehabilitator. Together, they opened the zoo that would become Australia Zoo. Steve grew up around animals, first feeding a crocodile at the age of 9.
This love for animals carried on throughout his life, and especially into his TV programme, The Crocodile Hunter, which instilled a love of animals into millions across the world. Steve used this platform to teach others the importance of protecting endangered animals and wildlife conservation as a whole. He even volunteered for Queensland's East Coast Crocodile Management program, where he captured over 100 crocodiles. Steve always said that if people could just be introduced to wildlife, then they may just want to save it. We think he’s spot on!
Conservation efforts
This love for the environment translated into a lifelong commitment to conservation. Steve urged people to be mindful of the tourism industry, as well as not supporting illegal poaching through the sale of turtle shells and shark fin soup. He also opened several private wildlife refuges across the world with the aim of showcasing how everyone has the ability to enact change.
Steve and his wife, Terri, also founded the charity organisation that would become ‘Wildlife Warriors Worldwide’. This charity promotes wildlife conservation, education, and research across the globe. They also buy land for conservation purposes, as well as sponsoring breeding programs for endangered species. The Irwin family have also owned Australia Zoo since its founding in 1970 and host a huge range of breeding and conservation programs for endangered species kept at the zoo.
Contributions to research and science
Due to Steve’s dedication to the natural world, his work led to advancements in wildlife research and science. He helped found research projects with scientists at the University of Queensland, who still use his crocodile capture technique to tag and release saltwater crocodiles.
One of the biggest contributions to wildlife science happened posthumously. A 330,000-acre area of land in Cape York, Australia, was gifted to the Irwin family after his death, named the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The area is a Strategic Environmental Area and has more protections than the Great Barrier Reef. The reserve is home to many different rare and endangered species. Around 35 different ecosystems are present at the reserve and one of them, the Perched Bauxite Springs, is completely new – having been previously unknown by humans.
What researchers have discovered was that the PH levels of the water were acidic. This meant that they should have been inhospitable to life, yet many species live and thrive there. Many animal species have adapted to the unique environment. The springs also act like a sponge, filtering and soaking up water in the monsoon season, ready for the dry season.
Steve's legacy and his passion for the natural world live on through his family - who still own and operate Australia Zoo - as well as his many different conservation efforts. Steve also has parks, zoos, streets, and even a boat named after him. The snail species Crikey steveirwini, and the asteroid 57567 Crikey were also named in his honour.
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