Terri Irwin reveals late husband Steve Irwin’s dying wish
Terri Irwin has revealed the promise she made to her late husband Steve Irwin before his tragic death, opening up about the Crocodile Hunter’s dying last wish.
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In a new trailer clip promoting an upcoming documentary detailing how the Irwin family have been coping during isolation, called Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Life in Lockdown, Terri explains she promised Steve that she would continue to ensure the zoo he established on the Sunshine Coast would continue to operate.
“He said to me, if anything happens to me, just make sure Australia Zoo continues. So it is really important that we keep this going,” Terri explained in the emotional clip, which you can watch in the player above.
Australia Zoo has faced financial hardship over the past few months thanks to the loss of the tourism dollar, after Australia closed its borders to international travellers.
Strict lockdown rules in each state have also prevented some Australians from taking interstate holidays and visiting tourist destinations like Australia Zoo.
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“I think it’s a natural effect of losing him” – How Steve Irwin’s death made the Irwin family stronger
Bindi Irwin shows Chandler Powell the ropes at Australia Zoo
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The zoo was also forced to shut down for a brief period earlier this year, although it is now open to the public.
Speaking in the trailer, Terri informs her children Bindi, 21, and Robert, 16, that she was unsure how long the zoo would need to be closed.
“We don’t really know how long we’re going to be shut down for,” Terri said.
“It might be another month, it might be another six months.”
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In the video, Bindi added that she wished her father was still around to help their family through such a tough time.
“I just keep thinking gosh, I just wish dad was here to help us out with everything, you know,” Bindi said.
She explained just how tough the zoo had been doing since lockdown, with the business’s revenue stream seriously under threat.
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“I think it’s a natural effect of losing him” – How Steve Irwin’s death made the Irwin family stronger
Bindi Irwin shows Chandler Powell the ropes at Australia Zoo
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“We have enough food to continue on for about six weeks,” Bindi said, adding, “But after that we are going to seriously be running out of funds.”
Terri has previously opened up about how Steve’s death has brought her and her family closer together.
Steve died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a sting ray in the Great Barrier Reef.
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“We communicate well, and I think it’s a natural effect of losing Steve. I think we became closer and stronger as a family and we have developed this awareness that allows us to truly value the people closest to us even more than we already did,” Terri told The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2019.
“It’s sad that it takes a tragedy such as Steve’s death to amp that up in your life, but it does make you want to live every day to the fullest and appreciate the people you love,” she added.
“I’m the first to admit that I can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but I have a saying that I think is very true. It’s that the meaning of life is unconditional love and that’s what we have for each other.”
Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Life in Lockdown airs on Australian TV on Saturday August 1 at 7:30pm on Foxtel’s Animal Planet.