Robert Irwin has shared emotional memories of his dad in an interview with Anderson Cooper.
During a March 10 appearance on Cooper’s All There Is podcast, the wildlife conservationist, 22, said he still talks to his iconic Australian late dad, Steve Irwin.
“He was so devoted as a father, you can’t not remember that,” Robert said, adding he’s so grateful that much of their time together has been recorded in photos and videos.
“I’ll be hit with this sense of – it’s warmth. It’s like something kind of wraps around me. And I will absolutely sit and just say, ‘How do I go forward?’ You know? How do you move forward?”
The man internationally known as the ‘Crocodile Hunter’ died at age 44 in September 2006, off the coast of Australia, after being stung by a stingray while filming a documentary.
The Irwins. Image: YouTube
Robert Irwin opens up to Anderson Cooper
“Sometimes, one of the nicest things is to kind of just let it all go,” Irwin shared at one point in the almost 50 minute conversation.
“I let it all sort of pour out, and it feels like I’m kind of letting him in. And sometimes I just sit and just go, ‘What’s next? How do I put one foot in front of the other?’ And there’s no answer, but it almost feels like there’s a resolution that comes out of that.”
Then Robert revealed there are moments when he feels like his late father is “trying to say something.”
He recalls that on one occasion, he was leading a team on a crocodile research expedition in Northern Australia for the first time ever – and ended up capturing the same reptile that Steve had captured and tagged 20 years prior.
“We do the capture and this bloke put me through it. He’s death rolling, head shaking, couple of really close calls on my behalf,” Robert shared.
“While I’m sitting there laying on this crocodile, there’s this very distinct marking in one of his scales, and I just had this little epiphany.
“It was a crocodile that my dad had caught 20 years ago and the craziest bit is, we managed to use satellite technology to figure it out, and we caught him in the exact same spot that he did,” he continued.
“It felt like that was Dad being like, ‘This is your first time leading the team. You’re on the right track. Here’s a little sign.’ It felt like that to me.”
Robert Irwin shares detail on sister Bindi’s grief
Robert also opened up about how his sister Bindi grieves Steve differently, because she was eight at the time of his death.
“My struggle is the fear of losing those memories of him, my sister had so much more time with him … that grief journey is different for her,” he said.
“I think it stings more [for her], for me it’s a blanket that’s suffocating me, but for her it’s a stab.
“One of the most saving graces in keeping him alive in my life is my mum. She is the reason why I have such a clear picture of who he was.”