After what would have been his 59th birthday on Feb. 22, fans of the famous “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin reflect on his legacy.

     “That man was an inspiration. You can tell he really cared about the animals he was working with and he really loved the type of work that he was doing,” senior Aeneas Owens said.

    Irwin, who died in 2006, was not only a conservationist and animal rights activist, but a TV personality as well. His documentary series “The Crocodile Hunter” that he co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin has 50+ episodes. The show is widely renowned due to Irwin’s unconventional approach to wildlife. He came across as fearless, constantly fighting dangerous animals in the wild, yet maintaining his enthusiasm and passion while relocating hundreds of crocodiles.

     “Making a show about crocodiles and saving their lives and relocating them, I feel like people might get inspired by that and want to do the same and that’s a really good thing,” senior Andre Owusu said.

     Irwin’s parents established the Beerwah Reptile Park in 1970, and he grew up to take over management of the park. He met his wife there when she visited as a tourist, and they were married within the next year. They renamed the park Australia Zoo and established the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, which, according to the official website, rescues, rehabilitates and releases over 7,000 native Australian animals every year.

    The couple have two children, Bindi and Robert. Both conservationists as well, they help not only keep the Australia Zoo running but also use their platforms to educate people about different animals.

     Last month, the Irwin family announced the launch of the Australia Zoo Youtube channel where they plan on releasing content of various animals at the zoo, their family adventures, and unseen footage from “The Crocodile Hunter.” 

     “[The Youtube channel] will give people more of a chance to learn new things and understand what’s going on [with these animals and their issues] because anybody can access Youtube,” Owusu said.

     Bindi Irwin had an announcement of her own in Aug. 2020, revealing that she is pregnant with her first child with husband Chandler Powell. She documents her pregnancy through social media, comparing the size of her daughter to various other babies at the Australia Zoo, such as a mountain pygmy-possum and a recently-hatched emu chick.

     “[The Irwins] are an iconic [family], and hopefully the baby will grow up to continue the Irwin family’s work with protecting animal species,” senior Cristian Narvaez said.

     Steve’s untimely death in 2006 took the world by devastating surprise, but the ones he left behind continue to carry out his life’s work. Irwin died from a stingray injury to the chest while shooting a nature documentary called “Ocean’s Deadliest.”

     “[Irwin’s death] was very unfortunate, but if you die doing what you love, you can’t ask for anything better,” Narvaez said.

     Irwin himself shared this same sentiment prior to his death, saying, “I have no fear of losing my life- if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it.” 

     Steve dedicated every minute of his 44 years of life to saving animals and protecting the Earth. Even 15 years after his death, his legacy lives on.

      “He was very passionate about the safety of the animals that he would go out there and save. The work he did was dangerous because he was working with crocodiles and stuff, but at the same time, it was for the better because not only was he helping people by getting rid of the crocodiles but also he was making sure the crocodiles were in a better, safer place,” Owens said.