Terri Irwin

Terri Raines Irwin AM (born July 20, 1964) is the American-born widow of Steve Irwin, and is owner of Australia Zoo at Beerwah, Queensland, Australia. She was also a co-star with her late husband on The Crocodile Hunter, their unconventional nature documentary series on television, as well as a spin-off series named Croc Files.

Terri was born in Eugene, Oregon in the United States. Her family was in the trucking business. As a small child, Terri was exposed to her father constantly bringing home injured animals from the highways which his trucks traversed and this was to eventually instill in her an ongoing commitment to saving and rehabilitating wild animals.

While working in the family business in 1986, she started a rehabilitation facility called "Cougar Country" to re-educate and release predatory mammals such as foxes, possums, raccoons, bears, bobcats, and cougars back into the wild. Soon she was handling 300 animals each year.

Terri joined an emergency veterinary hospital in 1989 as a veterinary technician to gain further valuable knowledge on the care and support to all kinds of animals. Her life was very busy, as she still kept a hand in helping her dad run the family business, rehabilitating animals through her "Cougar Country", and working spare moments at the vet hospital. In addition, she had 15 cats of her own, several birds, and a dog.

In 1991, Terri went on a tour of Australia, and while visiting wildlife rehabilitation facilities, she had a chance meeting with Steve Irwin, whose father had managed the Australia Zoo. A whirlwind romance followed: they were engaged after just 3 months, and 8 months later on June 4, 1992 they married. Their first television documentary was filmed on their honeymoon. The footage, shot by John Stainton, became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter, which became successful in America.

The couple chose to settle in Australia, and Terri had to leave her Cougar Country behind in the United States. However, as a partner in their wildlife enterprises and television shows, Terri has been able to do far greater work on behalf of animal husbandry.

Terri and Steve Irwin had two children together, Bindi Sue Irwin (born July 24, 1998) and Robert Clarence Irwin (born December 1, 2003). Even before they were born, the children were part of the television programs during Terri's pregnancies. Bindi Sue was named after Steve's favorite crocodile Bindi and his dog Sui. Robert Clarence was named after Steve's father Robert (Robert was also Steve's middle name) and Terri's father Clarence.

In addition to their two popular television programs, which are shown on the Animal Planet television network in the United States, in 2002, the Irwins' feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, was released.

In an interview before the birth of their second child, Terri had this to say about her marriage to Steve Irwin and working together:

"We don't drink, we don't smoke, and we are actually in love and happily married. We love our little girl, we go home to each other at night, and we believe in what we are doing,"

"Say my husband had a dangerous job and I wasn't with him, I don't know how you go, 'Oh honey, how was it with the police department today? You got all your fingers and toes today?' It would scare me. I'd have to become a police officer and work with him; I couldn't do it."

In 2006, Terri was made an honorary Member of the Order of Australia for services to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry.

Terri was reportedly trekking in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, when her husband Steve died on the morning of September 4, 2006 after sustaining chest and heart injuries from a stingray barb. He died shortly after the attack. He was filming an underwater documentary at the time in a reef off Port Douglas, Queensland.

External links

• Crocodile Hunter.com Steve and Terri's website called The Crocodile Hunter
• Animal Planet Crocodile Hunter
• Terri Irwin at IMDb