Steve Irwin, lovingly remembered as the one and only “Crocodile Hunter,” would have turned 58 on Saturday.
The Irwin family posted tributes to honor the life he passionately led.
Bindi Irwin, 21, posted an adorable photo of herself and her father on Instagram, along with a heart-wrenching note to him.
“Dad, Today is your birthday. I had an extra strong cup of tea just how you liked it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I hugged Mum for you and told her how much we love her. Robert and I went on a hike through the mountains you cherished. I watched one of your documentaries with Chandler and shared stories about you. I walked through your office in the zoo and smiled at our old family photographs. Today and every day I miss you and love you beyond description. You’re always with me.”
Irwin’s wife, Terri Irwin, posted her own tribute to her late husband.
“Today would’ve been Steve’s 58th birthday,” Terri said in her Twitter post. “While my heart aches missing him every day, I’m determined to celebrate what he loved the most. He was happiest spending time [at the] Australia Zoo w/ Bind iIrwin & Robert Irwin. He was my best friend, best dad, & built the best Zoo. I love you.”
Robert Irwin was almost 3 when his father died. On Saturday, he posted his own tribute with a black-and-white throwback photo of the family.
“Family always,” Robert captioned the picture on Instagram.
Over the course of his life, Irwin found worldwide fame as an enthusiastic conservationist. His passion for wildlife started as a child when he would help out at his parents’ roadside wildlife park in Queensland.
Instead of a honeymoon, he and Terri traveled back to Australia to try to save a crocodile that was being hunted by a poacher.
The legendary television star and conservationist died on Sept. 4, 2006, when a stingray barb went through his chest during filming for a documentary project.
The Irwin family continues his legacy of rescuing and saving wildlife in danger at the Australia Zoo, which is owned and operated by the family, and the zoo’s wildlife hospital.
