Steve Irwin was born on February 22, 1962, in Victoria, Australia. He became fascinated with wildlife animals at a young age. In 1970, his parents opened the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park, known as the Australia Zoo today, where Irwin's interest in wildlife grew. His parents advocated for the protection of Australia's reptiles. As a child, Irwin would accompany his father and rescue reptiles and rehabilitate injured kangaroos and other wildlife in the Outback.
He was most passionate about crocodiles and by the 1980s, he worked for the Crocodile Management Program, a government-funded program that spreads awareness and protects crocodiles from being hunted by relocating them. He founded the Wildlife Warriors in 2002. With this program, Irwin was able to spread awareness for threatened and endangered species and educate people on how to protect them. He took over his parents' wildlife park where he met his wife in 1991. The two of them made a wildlife documentary which lead to the start of his fame with the hit television series, The Crocodile Hunter. Irwin's park gained a lot of
attraction due to the show's premiere and he was able to expand it. On September 4, 2006, the Australian wildlife conservationist was stung in the heart by a stingray and experienced cardiac arrest. He passed away an hour after. The world
will forever remember him and his contribution to wildlife conservation.