Bindi Irwin pays tribute to her dad Steve Irwin on what would have been his 61st birthday

Bindi Irwin has taken to social media to give a tribute to her father on what would have been his 61st birthday.

The animal activist penned a heartwarming message to honour her late dad, Steve Irwin, who passed away 17 years ago.

The conservationist wrote: “Happy Birthday, Dad.

“Thank you for instilling a love for all species, courage to follow my heart and determination to make a difference in the world for wildlife and wild places.”

She added: “Your legacy lives on and the world is forever changed because of your dedication to conservation. Mum, Robert and I love and miss you so much.”

Many rallied behind the 24-year-old following the tribute, as one person wrote: “[The] Man was a treasure. Glad he lives on through his wonderful family.”

Another said: “What a blessing he gave to this world and what an honour to continue that legacy, happy birthday to your amazing Dad!”

While a third shared: “One of my childhood heroes. Happy Birthday to your father. He is the reason I love animals so much.”

Steve died in 2006 after he was fatally injured by a stingray barb while filming in the Great Barrier Reef.

At the time, he was attempting to capture footage for Bindi the Jungle Girl, a children’s nature series in development that his daughter would present.

Bindi has since opened up about her father’s death following the birth of her daughter, Grace.

She told ABC News that while she always knew her father had an affinity for animals, she learnt about the extent of his legacy and the impact of his conservational work.

Bindi said: “It wasn't until he passed away that we were hit with this wave — this tsunami of love and kindness and people sharing their own stories and telling us about how that affected their lives."

Although the world had lost the infamous Crocodile Hunter, Bindi was motivated to continue his noble work.

But if you ask the activist, she believes her father knew he didn’t have much time on this planet.

"As humans, we all say, 'live each day as if it's your last' and Dad actually did," she said.

"After any wonderful experience that he had, he would always say, 'Well, I feel complete, I can die now'."