Just Like Dad: Steve Irwin’s Son Shows Off Exotic Animals, Says ‘It’s Really Nice to Be Able to Follow in His Footsteps’
It’s been over a decade since the tragic death of well-loved wildlife expert Steve Irwin, but his legacy is living on through his children.
The late Australian star’s son Robert Clarence stopped by The Tonight Show Thursday to talk about his famous dad, and share his own experiences in growing up surrounded by animals.
“This is so cool — you’re actually your dad,” Jimmy Fallon tells him after Robert, now 13, enthusiastically gives some facts about an animal seen in a childhood photo of himself and Irwin. “You’re so excited.”
“My dad was actually on The Tonight Show quite a while ago,” Robert says. “So it’s really nice to be able to follow in his footsteps. It’s really great.”
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Robert’s enthusiasm for the natural world around him is something that he has inherited from his family, including mom Terri and big sister Bindi.
“It’s just in my blood,” he says. “I actually grew up at Australia Zoo, so I think I’m the luckiest kid on planet Earth.”
The youngest Irwin child shares that he and his family participate in a fundraiser every year in his dad’s honor.
“It’s called the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner, and this year it’s in L.A. on May 13th,” he says. “And it’s all about celebrating everything that Dad loved, and it’s a really big fundraiser to raise money for Wildlife Warriors.”
RELATED VIDEO: Bindi Irwin Channels Her Late Father While Feeding A Crocodile!
No Irwin appearance would be complete without a few furry (or scaly) friends in the mix — and of course, Robert delivers.
Among his companions on the show? An African dwarf crocodile, a screaming armadillo and the host’s seemingly least favorite: a huge red-tailed boa constrictor named Lady.
“I think she’s maybe constricting you a little bit,” the laid-back Robert tells a terrified-looking Fallon.
“I don’t want you or me getting squeezed,” he says, proceeding to yell and eliciting laughs from the audience.
