Bindi shares emotional tribute to her late father

Publish Date
Friday, 17 November 2017, 3:54PM
Photo / Instagram

Photo / Instagram

It was 11 years ago that her father Steve Irwin tragically died. 

And on Wednesday, his daughter Bindi Irwin posted a sweet tribute to her dad, who she said 'taught her we must treat all animals in the way we wish to be treated.'

The 19-year-old uploaded an image of herself at the tender age of five, cuddling her father as he held a wombat in his hands.

Alongside it she included an emotive tribute:  'November 15. Steve Irwin Day. Today we remember all that Dad achieved for wildlife and wild places around the world. He taught me that we must all treat animals the way we wish to be treated. 

'I think that his advice applies to both animals and people. In order to protect our planet, we must first learn to be kind in every part of life. If we are able to show kindness for each other we can be kind to our wildlife and in turn, our planet. 

'I strive to encourage people to remember that conservation is not only about the cute and cuddly creatures, but also our crocodiles, snakes and sharks. We are all connected in some way.

Meanwhile, the Irwin family will be commemorating Steve's life at Australia Zoo on Wednesday for Steve Irwin Day. 

The clan is also returning to Animal Planet, 11 years after the death of 'The Crocodile Hunter' star.

The network said that Irwin's widow, Terri, and children Bindi, and Robert, 13, will reappear on Animal Planet starting next year.

The family has carried on Steve's conservation work in Australia, running a zoo, a wildlife preserve and supporting projects that try to save endangered animals worldwide.

'It seemed like a really good time, since we do so many things together as a family,' said Terri Irwin.

It's still not clear what form their Animal Planet work will take. 

The family and network are discussing several ideas for television and digital products, said the network's general manager Patrice Andrews.

The Crocodile Hunter aired on Animal Planet from 1996 to 2007. 

Steve's colorful personality, seeming fearlessness in wrestling dangerous animals and his Australian lingo - like the expression 'crikey!' - made him a favorite.

'Steve was very much the face of our channel,' Andrews said. 'People even today in focus groups bring up the impact of The Crocodile Hunter.

Bringing back the Irwins is part of the network's refocusing on animals, Andrews said. In recent years the network adopted the tagline, 'Surprisingly Human.'

Currently, the network's most popular series is 'Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet,' with a new series focusing on animals at the Bronx Zoo also doing well.

Steve died at age 44 in September 2006 when a stingray's barb pierced his heart while filming an underwater scene for a television series.

After his death, Terri focused on raising her two young children aged eight and three.

Both of the Irwin children grew up committed to the family business and have dominated television. 

Bindi won Dancing With the Stars in 2015 and Robert has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon displaying animals as is dad did when Jay Leno hosted the show.

The family has continued to work on conservation projects in Australia. 

'For us, conservation work isn't just what we do. It's who we are. It's really defined us that this is what we've dedicated our lives to,' said Terri. 

She added that she's tried to channel some of the competitiveness that she and Steve had as a couple, trying to complete milestones on a 10-year business plan they wrote together shortly before he died.

Now the family is working on projects Steve hadn't even dreamed of, like making accommodations for camping at their zoo, she said. 

'Grief is never something you get over,' Terri said, 'It's something that walks beside you every day. And if you can learn how to manage it and honor the person that you miss, you can take something that is incredibly sad and have some form of positivity. That's kind of what we decided to do with Steve.'

This article was first published on dailymail.co.uk and is reproduced ther with permission.



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