How Did Steve Irwin Die? What His Kids Have Shared About His Legacy

It's been 19 years since Steve Irwin died, but his family has worked hard to ensure that his legacy lives on.

When he passed away at the age of 44 in 2006, Steve Irwin left behind his wife, Terri Irwin, and two young children, Bindi and Robert Irwin. Since then, the family has continued his work as a wildlife conservationist at the Australia Zoo.

Over the years, both of Steve Irwin's children have kept their father's memory alive through their work and their words. Read on to learn more about the larger-than-life Australian environmentalist.

Who Was Steve Irwin?

Steve Irwin feeds the crocodiles at Australia Zoo in 2003. (Newspix / Newspix via Getty Images)

Steve Irwin became a household name while starring on his popular TV show, "Crocodile Hunter." In the series, viewers got a glimpse at the Australian's work as an environmentalist and wildlife conservationist.

According to his Australia Zoo bio, Steve Irwin started catching "small problem crocodiles" when he was 9 years old. He went on to use these skills to help catch "problem crocodiles" for the Queensland government in remote areas.

In 1991, Steve Irwin met his future wife, an Oregon native named Terri Raines. They tied the knot the following year. Their honeymoon was a crocodile rescue mission — and the footage of the expedition was the first episode of "Crocodile Hunter," according to the family's website.

Steve Irwin's parents opened a reptile park in 1970 that was later renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. In 1991, he took over managing the park, which he and his wife renamed the Australia Zoo in 1998. The family runs the Australia Zoo to this day.

How Did Steve Irwin Die?

Steve Irwin died in an accident on Sept. 4, 2006 while filming the documentary "Ocean's Deadliest" in Australia. The 44-year-old passed away after a stingray pierced his heart with a poisonous barb.

“It was just a freak accident. You certainly couldn’t have predicted it,” conservationist Phillippe Cousteau, who was present at the time of the accident, said on TODAY in 2006. “It just happened.”

Bindi Irwin was 8 years old at the time of her father's death, while her younger brother Robert Irwin was three months shy of 3 years old.

What His Kids Have Said About Their Dad

Robert, Steve and Bindi Irwin in 2005. (Newspix / Getty Images)

In the years since his death, Steve Irwin's children have spoken highly about their father on numerous occasions. Here's a look back at what each of them have said.

Bindi Irwin

Bindi Irwin, now 27 years old, is a wildlife conservationist who works at the Australia Zoo and travels the world to speak about conservation.

She and her husband, Chandler Powell, are parents to a 4-year-old daughter named Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, whose middle name is a nod to her father's role as a wildlife warrior.

When she was pregnant with her daughter, Bindi Irwin opened up to ET about the type of grandfather her late father would have been.

"I don't think we would've ever seen our daughter,” she said. “He would've just whisked her away into the zoo and it would've been perfect. But it is so nice that we'll be able to introduce her to her grandfather through all of the documentaries. It's really special."

In a TV special titled, "Crikey! It's a Baby," Bindi Irwin reflected on how her daughter will never meet her grandfather, calling the thought "devastating."

“It is really hard, it’s hard that he’s not here because out of everyone in the world he would’ve loved her the most,” she said. “He would’ve loved her so much, but I think, in a way, he is still with us. His heart and soul lives on in all of us, so he’s never really gone.”

"The words I spoke to our daughter as I held her for the first time in my arms were, 'My graceful warrior'. That’s how her name was born. This is my dad’s handwriting to keep him with me, always," she captioned the post.

On the 15th anniversary of her father's death in 2021, Bindi Irwin shared a photo of her daughter on Instagram and revealed that Grace calls Steve Irwin "Grandpa Crocodile."

“She lights up when she sees him on screen,” she wrote. “I wish with all my heart that Dad could hug my beautiful girl. It’s been 15 years since he passed away. I hold on to the thought that he’s her guardian angel now, watching over the most special part of my life, Grace Warrior.”

Robert Irwin

Steve and Robert Irwin in 2006. (Handout / Getty Images)

Robert Irwin, now 21, works as a wildlife conservationist, nature photographer and TV personality. He works at the Australia Zoo and runs the zoo’s nonprofit organization, Wildlife Warriors. Much like his father, he has a passion for crocodiles and participates in demonstrations with the zoo’s resident crocs.

While appearing on the 3rd Hour of TODAY in May 2025, Robert Irwin spoke about his father’s legacy as he prepared to attend the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas.

“At his core it was all about conservation, and it was all about family,” he said. “That really is what he was about. He was the best dad in the entire world, and I feel like his legacy has never been more important.”

In 2019, Robert Irwin re-created a photo his father took 15 years before while feeding the exact same crocodile at the Australia Zoo.

Over the years, the conservationist has posted several tributes to his father. In 2020, Robert Irwin shared a video his colleagues at the Australia Zoo made him to celebrate his birthday. He captioned the post, “I am beyond honoured to continue my dad’s legacy and I hope more than anything that he would be proud."

Robert Irwin, who is competing on Season 34 of "Dancing With the Stars," sat down with People for an interview recently and reflected on life without his father.

“He’s still part of every day,” Irwin says. “He’s part of every conversation. He’s part of my life. And I feel as though I get a little part of him back in some way, in every conversation I have about him, or any new story I hear about him, or in any new photo that I haven’t seen before.”

Robert Irwin called his father a "superhero figure" and an "omnipresent" force in his life.

"And I’m so grateful for that, because while I didn’t have much time with my dad, I have a human being who exemplifies everything I want to be in life,” he said.

“He’s the embodiment of passion, of living life to 100%,” he said. “If Australia were a person, it would be my dad. To love your wildlife, to be passionate, to have that spirit of mateship and camaraderie with everyone. He is just a superhero to me.”