Twenty years after iconic wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin — known globally as the Crocodile Hunter — lost his life in a tragic accident at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, his family is honoring his memory with heartfelt tributes that highlight the far-reaching impact he left behind. On September 4, 2006, the 44-year-old TV personality died after a stingray’s barb pierced his chest while he filmed an underwater documentary, shocking fans and conservation communities around the world.
Now 28, Bindi Irwin, Steve’s oldest child who was just 8 years old when he died, shared a moving public tribute on Instagram that has resonated with millions. She reflected on two decades of walking alongside grief, noting that for 20 years, she has stood with her family as the world joined them in mourning the loss of a man who changed how millions connected to wildlife.
“ I always thought that my dad’s legacy is wildlife conservation; it turns out, his legacy is love. For our planet and for each other,” she wrote in her post. Bindi opened up about the loss the family has carried: her mother Terri, Steve’s widow, lost the love of her life, while she and her younger brother Robert lost the best father they could have asked for. “Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day,” she added.
Bindi also shared a sweet, touching detail about how her own 5-year-old daughter has built a connection with the grandfather she never got to meet. Every morning, the young girl watches Steve’s old documentaries, and already feels the warm, joyful love of the man she calls “grandpa crocodile” despite never having been held by him.
In the years since Steve’s death, the entire Irwin family has remained committed to carrying forward his life’s work, continuing to run Australia Zoo in Queensland, the wildlife sanctuary Steve and Terri built into a global hub for conservation and education. Bindi emphasized that her father’s influence will extend for generations, writing that his impact remains so profound that it deserves celebration, not just mourning. She closed her tribute by calling Steve her family’s guardian angel, and signing off with “I love you with my whole heart.”
Terri Irwin also joined in marking the 20th anniversary, sharing a vintage interview that revealed a little-known detail about Bindi’s name that many fans had not heard before. In the clip, the ever-enthusiastic Steve, dressed in his signature khaki, recalled the moment Bindi was born — calling it the most incredible wildlife encounter of his entire life. When he first held his newborn daughter, the inspiration for her name struck instantly. “I was flabbergasted and it was then that her name evolved. I’ve gone, ‘Bindi!’ after my favourite crocodile, Bindi,” he said in the interview, grinning widely.
22-year-old Robert Irwin, Steve’s son, also shared his own tribute, posting a throwback photo of baby Robert being held by his father, with a simple, powerful caption: “Your legacy is forever.” Most recently, Robert carried on a family tradition last November when he won the Mirrorball Trophy on the U.S. dance competition *Dancing with the Stars* — exactly a decade after his sister Bindi took home the same title.