Steve Irwin Biography

Fast Facts

• Was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian government for his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism" in 2001
• Discovered a new species of turtle in 1997, which he named Irwin's turtle in honor of his family, and also had a new species of air-breathing land snail named after him in 2009 - the "Crikey steveirwini․"
• Caught his first venomous snake at the age of 6 and his first crocodile at the age of 9
• After getting married to Terri Raines in 1992, the couple spent their honeymoon filming crocodiles for what would later become "The Crocodile Hunter․"
• Quote: "Yeah, I'm a thrill seeker, but crikey, education's the most important thing․"
• Quote: "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․"
• Best known as a wildlife expert and television personality who hosted the documentary series "The Crocodile Hunter․"
• Took over the running of his family's wildlife preserve, the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, in 1992 and renamed it the Australia Zoo in 1998
• As a child, he was often late for school because he would ask his mother to pull over along the way so he could rescue a lizard on the road
• Made a cameo appearance in the 2001 film "Dr․ Dolittle 2" and voiced the character Trev in 2006's "Happy Feet․"