Terrifying footage emerged recently of 18-year-old Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin and Terri Irwin, coming astonishingly close to being attacked by a 13-foot crocodile named Casper. The incident took place at Australia Zoo during feeding time, and it left Terri Irwin in complete shock.
As the wife of the renowned ‘Crocodile Hunter,’ who tragically lost his life in 2006 when a stingray pierced his chest, Terri couldn’t help but relive the trauma when she saw how close her son came to a tragic fate. The moment was a near-heart attack for her.
Watching her teenage son following in his father’s footsteps as a dangerous animal handler has undoubtedly made Terri uneasy. She admits that she sometimes wishes her husband and son weren’t so alike.
In the heart-stopping footage, Robert can be seen alerting fellow zookeepers to escape while a rare ‘leucistic’ saltwater crocodile named Casper charges at him. The young Irwin was testing whether Casper was comfortable enough with his new enclosure to be featured in shows at the popular Queensland zoo.
To Robert’s surprise, the crocodile ignored the food offered to him and lunged towards the teenager with its massive jaws wide open. Acting quickly, Robert shouted, “bail, bail, bail!” as he swiftly ran away from the approaching reptile. Thanks to his agility and presence of mind, he narrowly escaped the croc’s grasp.
The clip, originally from the season finale of the U.S. TV show “Crikey! It’s the Irwins,” was posted by Robert on social media, leaving audiences all over the world in awe of the fearless teenager.
Casper, the leucistic saltwater crocodile, suffers from a dramatic reduction in dark skin pigment, making him appear lighter in color than other crocs. His condition indicates that he would have been an easy target for predators at a young age in the wild.
The Australia Zoo describes him as “one of the most aggressive crocodiles we have ever seen.” However, at the zoo, he has been introduced to a female saltwater crocodile named Wendy, who shares the same condition.
Despite the heart-stopping encounter, both Robert Irwin and his mother, Terri Irwin, remain committed to their passion for wildlife conservation and education, ensuring that Steve Irwin’s legacy lives on. Their unwavering dedication to protecting and understanding these incredible creatures is an inspiration to us all.
