Australia Zoo has been a popular topic of conversation since Robert Irwin competed on Dancing with the Stars. As of Tuesday, Nov. 25, it now houses two mirrorballs since both Bindi Irwin and Robert secured their place atop the leaderboard. These two aren’t only known for their incredible dancing skills, but also for their work in wildlife conservation.
Robert and Bindi are the children of Steve and Terri Irwin, who both ran Australia Zoo for years before Steve’s sudden passing in 2006. He was known as “The Crocodile Hunter,” often enthusiastic in his hands-on approach to educating others about animals and ecosystems.
Terri Irwin now owns and operates Australia Zoo, promoting its conservationist efforts on shows such as Crikey! It’s the Irwins. She’s originally from Oregon, but moved to Australia after meeting Steve and falling in love with him and his environmental beliefs.
Australia Zoo specializes in conserving, rehabilitating, and rehousing thousands of animals. They actively work on injured animals and create habitats for hundreds of different species. This zoo, and the family behind it, is one of the most influential parts of modern-day conservation.
Australia zoo HISTORY
Australia Zoo started with Steve’s parents and was originally called the Beerwah Reptile Park. It was located on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, a 2-acre wildlife park established in 1970 and home to native Australian wildlife. They housed freshwater crocodiles, magpie geese, kangaroos, and other animals.
Irwin’s mother, Lyn Irwin, crafted homemade pouches for the kangaroos. She was skilled at rehabilitating injured animals before returning them to the wild, making sure they were as strong as possible before returning home.
In the 1980s, the park had expanded. They gained staff members and rebranded to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. During this time, the iconic Galapagos tortoise, Harriet, arrived. She lived two decades in the park before passing away in 2006.
In 1991, Steve took over park management. He and his wife, Terri, embarked on a crocodile rescue mission a few years later, where they began their documentary series, The Crocodile Hunter.
This series grew in popularity, and the Irwins eventually changed the park’s name to Australia Zoo. Here, they created countless habitats that mirror natural environments so every animal can live its best life, even if they aren’t in their first home.
Australia zoo CONSERVATION
“Conservation Through Exciting Education” was Steve’s motto, and is a belief Australia Zoo still holds strong. Their goal is to provide animals with the greatest care in the world, giving every species the best chance of survival. They maximize their conservation effort to make a real difference and provide environmental education for all guests.
The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve is 330,000 acres of rainforests, wetlands, and savannahs. Due to Terri’s campaign, which prevented the destruction of the reserve, the land is now protected from the threat of strip mining and has been declared a Strategic Environmental Area. This gives it more protection than the Great Barrier Reef.
Research on the reserve is conducted every year, starting in August. The researchers have 35 different ecosystems to sift through, and the reserve hosts many conservation and education groups every year. Each attendee of the reserve is working towards conserving every habitat of those species found there.
As of right now, 40 species at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve are significant in conservation research. This means they’re endangered, known to the area, or have a restricted distribution. It includes 21 amphibian species, 48 fish species, 170 bird species, 20 mammal species, and 47 reptile species.
To study these species, researchers use several programs, including biodiversity studies, fire ecology, and hydrology of the bauxite plateau.
Biodiversity studies involve examining different organisms within their habitat. Fire ecology investigates how fire interacts with the living organisms in their environment, and the hydrology of the bauxite plateau evaluates the relationship between the environment and the natural water cycle. They also study paleontology, archaeology, and anthropology.
These researchers focus on specific species throughout their programs, including carnivorous plant species, microbats, and the carnivorous marsupial, the northern quoll. They also study crocodiles and are currently tracking 170 species throughout the Wenlock River, which is actually home to one of the largest breeding populations of crocodiles on earth. This river has the richest diversity of freshwater fish in all Australian rivers, with over 48 species inhabiting the water.
Not only do researchers study fire ecology, but they also use fire management techniques that’ve been passed down through generations of indigenous Australians. The rangers in charge of fire management even hosted a fire workshop in 2014 to assist owners and inform younger generations of the positive impact fire has on ecosystems.
Conservation is the heart of Australia Zoo, and the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve houses 35 different ecosystems. There are over 100 bird species, dozens of mammals and amphibians, and 282 vertebrate species.
THE IRWINS
Australia Zoo officially began with Steve and Terri after their first episode of The Crocodile Hunter, the Irwin’s iconic documentary series. Before this, Steve had been managing the zoo, previously known as Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park.
Terri, who was Terri Raines at the time, had started a wildlife rehabilitation facility, Cougar Country, specializing in predatory mammals. She often helped injured animals found on the side of Oregon’s highways, and further delved into her veterinary skills as she began working as a veterinary technician in 1989.
She then met Steve on a family trip to Australia, stopping by his family’s zoo on a whim. She watched one of his crocodile demonstrations, and his complete calmness during the moment charmed her. In this moment, Steve also spotted Terri and described it as “love at first sight” in one of the episodes of Crocodile Hunter. This then began their life of adventure.
Steve and Terri welcomed their first child, Bindi, in 1998. She starred in Bindi: The Jungle Girl, teaching everyone about the importance of caring for wildlife. She now works closely with Wildlife Warriors, a global conservation effort to protect wildlife and their habitats.
The Irwins welcomed their second child, Robert, in 2003. He helps his family operate the non-profit charity Wildlife Warriors, and provides audiences with the daily crocodile demonstrations that are the highlight of Australia Zoo. He also shares his wildlife passion with photography and holds competitions for all just as passionate as him.
Both of the Irwin kids were highlighted in numerous shows the family had, including Croc Diaries, Croc Files, and Ghosts of War. These pieces of media generated enough funds to let the family build their Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, which rescues, rehabilitates, and releases over 10,000 native Australian animals a year. This hospital is dedicated to Steve’s mother.
The Irwin family works hard to preserve hundreds of Australian species, focusing on education alongside preservation. They’re keeping Steve Irwin’s legacy alive while each paving their own path in wildlife conservation!
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