Robert Irwin says his dad would be ‘proud’ as he shared an incredible moment with fans.
Taking to social media, the conservationist revealed that a species, discovered by his late dad, would be joining Australia Zoo.
During the clip, the 19-year-old is overwhelmed with emotion as he releases the reptile and it is pretty heart-warming stuff. Take a look below:
Named Elseya irwini, which translates as Irwin’s Turtle, it was discovered by the late Crocodile Hunter before his untimely passing in 2006.
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Almost two decades on, his son Robert introduced the tiny reptile to its new enclosure and spoke about his dad.
Sharing the significant moment on Twitter, Irwin told fans: “This is one of the highlights of my entire life… and one of the most special moments ever for Australia Zoo, this is the very first Elseya irwini, Irwin’s Turtle, hatched for any zoological facility anywhere in the world…”
Heartbreakingly, the young conservationist shared a photo of his late dad, Steve, before releasing the small turtle in its new enclosure.
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“It’s just so surreal and all the stories from Dad about how amazing and beautiful they are…,” he said, adding: “Dad would be stoked with that.”
Posted on Saturday (Oct 14), the caption was just as emotional, with the zookeeper telling fans his dad would be ‘proud’ of the landmark moment.
Irwin wrote: “Wow. This was a special moment. I think Dad would be pretty proud that we’ve become the first to successfully breed the turtle that he discovered. A rare, and unique species under threat in the wild has just been given a second chance.”
Unsurprisingly, the video has gone viral and has been seen by over 27 million fans.
Many rushed to the comments to share their own stories about the late Crocodile Hunter.
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Touchingly, one fan wrote: “When your dad died, it hit us fans on a deep level. As his actual son I cannot imagine what you went through at that time and now.”
They added: “But it's amazing that you're keeping the legacy alive and well! Thank you!”
Others congratulated Irwin on his amazing achievement, with another tweeting: “If this is not the circle of life, then I don’t know what is!! He’d definitely be proud of you.”
It’s not the first time the zookeeper has made fans feel nostalgic, with Irwin recreating an iconic photo of his dad in the same car.
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Excuse us for a second, there’s something in our eye!
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/ robertirwin / Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicTopics: Twitter, Australia, Steve Irwin, Robert Irwin, Celebrity, Environment