Following his father's footsteps, Robert Irwin, son of late Steve Irwin famously known as the 'crocodile hunter', encountered and tackled a giant saltwater crocodile at Queensland based Australia Zoo.
Where did the incident take place?
The incident took place when the renovations were underway in the Crocodile Environmental Park of the Zoo belonging to the Irwin family. The renovations were being carried out as part of the 50th anniversary, celebrated earlier this month.
As part of the restorations, Robert, who would be turning 16 on December 1, 2019, was actively involved in the shifting of the huge reptiles from their enclosures to a temporary holding area. If the process is not enough to send chills, the procedure requires the team members to not only lure the reptiles out of their habitat but also wrangle them once out so that they could be sent to the temporary enclosures.
Robert Irwin tackled the giant saltwater crocodile
The entire sequence was shown on Crikey! It's the Irwins, a reality show being aired on Animal Planet. Even though tackling crocodiles was a regular affair for Steve Irwin, it was a big moment for Robert to tackle Bosco, the giant saltwater crocodile, along with his team members. "This is actually a really big moment for me personally because this is the biggest croc I've ever had jumped and it's all about timing," said Robert.
During the sequence, televised on the show, once Bosco was lured out of the pond, Robert, along with his six men, jumped on the reptile. Once under control, Bosco was quickly tied up and his jaws taped before being shifted into the holding box. Bearing a spitting image of his father, Robert, while holding down the reptile said, "Even though we've got all these people on him, we're holding him down and using all of our strength, he could still give us a go".
Robert continuing Steve Irwin's legacy
While the action was going on, one couldn't help but notice the nervousness on the faces of Robert's mother Terri and his sister Bindi. Recently, Robert, while performing another daredevil stunt, swam with a giant python for the first time. A wildlife enthusiast just like his father, Robert is actively involved in the day to day functioning of his family zoo, Australia Zoo.
He is also hosting the reality series based on his family and its zoo, Crikey! It's the Irwins. The second season of the series, shown on Animal Planet, was aired on October 8, 2019. 44-year-old Steve Irwin's death left his million fans heartbroken. While filming footage for a show in Batt Reef in 2006, Steve died from fatal stingray barb to the heart.
