Terri Irwin, widow of the late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, recently experienced a heart-stopping moment when she watched footage of her son Robert almost being devoured by a 13-foot crocodile named Casper. The incident occurred at Australia Zoo during feeding time, and it brought back memories of the tragic death of Steve in 2006.

According to a source, Terri “almost had a heart attack” when she saw just how close Robert came to a tragic end. The 57-year-old Irwin matriarch is reportedly still traumatised by Steve’s death, and watching her teenage son follow in his dangerous animal handling footsteps only adds to her unease. She wishes that father and son “weren’t quite so alike sometimes.”

The heart-stopping footage shows Robert, who is only 18 years old, warning his fellow zookeepers to “bail” as the large saltwater crocodile charges at him. Robert was testing whether Casper was comfortable enough in his new enclosure to be featured in shows at the zoo. However, the massive croc ignored the food offered by Robert and lunged at him with snapping jaws.

In a narrow escape, Robert is seen fleeing the approaching reptile, shouting “bail, bail, bail!” The video, which was posted on social media by Robert himself, offers a bird’s-eye view of the dramatic encounter.

Casper, the leucistic saltwater crocodile, is a rare creature due to its dramatic reduction in dark skin pigment, making it appear lighter in color. The condition also means that Casper would have been an easy target for predators in the wild. Australia Zoo describes Casper as “one of the most aggressive crocodiles we have ever seen.” Nevertheless, at the zoo, Casper has been paired with a female saltwater crocodile named Wendy, who shares the same condition.

The close call with the crocodile undoubtedly stirred emotions within the Irwin family, and it serves as a reminder of the risks they face while carrying on Steve’s wildlife conservation work.