Who was Steve Irwin?
Steve Irwin was a famous Australian conservationist who loved animals. He was called the 'crocodile hunter.' His love of wildlife and his often risky contacts with animals won him an international following.
He was born in 1962 in Australia. His dad started the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. They also helped move crocodiles to keep them safe. They put the crocodiles in their park if they couldn't move the crocodiles. After his dad retired, Steve ran the park and changed its name to the Australia Zoo.
There was a TV show called 'The Crocodile Hunter' about Steve's work, and it made a lot of people like him. Steve wanted to teach people about protecting animals and their homes.
Sadly, in 2006, Steve had an accident while swimming and got hurt by a stingray. He passed away, but his kids are carrying on his work. Recently, his son helped breed a rare turtle.
What kind of turtle did Steve Irwin’s son help breed?
Robert Irwin, who is the son of the late Steve Irwin, posted a video of himself holding a baby Elseya irwini turtle at the Australia Zoo. His dad found this turtle species back in 1990. This turtle species is also called 'Irwin's turtle.'
Robert said that the Australia Zoo is the first place in the world to breed these turtles successfully.
What do we know about Elseya irwini?
These turtle species are found in the upper parts of the Broken and Bowen Rivers in southern Queensland, Australia. These two rivers are tributaries of the Burdekin River.
These turtles like to eat snails and plants. The females may be entirely herbivorous. There are about 4,000 to 5,000 of these turtles. However, very little is known about them. Scientists are studying them to learn more.
This turtle species has been threatened by the construction of the Burdekin Dam. This has resulted in a decrease in river water quality, making it difficult for the turtles to survive and reproduce.
