Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's son, 15, says he'd rather live a life full of dangerous encounters with wild animals than have a boring desk job - despite his dad's tragic death
- Robert Irwin tells DailyMailTV that his dangerous TV interactions with wildlife are 'his passion' and he's happy to put his life on the line to do so
- Robert is the 15-year-old son of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin
- 'We never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of everyday,' Robert said
- His mother Terri Irwin tells DailyMailTV she fully supports her son's desires to push the boundaries on TV despite her husband's tragic death
- Terri explained that her husband's death by sting ray was simply a freak accident
- Robert, Bindi and Terri were in Los Angeles to promote their second season of Crikey! It's the Irwins on Animal Planet
The son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin says he is happy to put his life on the line for his wildlife encounters, despite the tragic demise of his famous father.
Robert Irwin, 15, insists that his dangerous TV interactions with wild animals are 'his passion' no matter the potential perils, he tells DailyMailTV.
He even joked that driving in Los Angeles posed more threats than his work as a TV host, wildlife conservationist and zoo advocate.
Displaying his adventurous nature, the 15-year-old added that 'there's always, always going to be close calls with wildlife and it's exciting.'
He feels that his time on earth must be packed with daredevil animal encounters as 'we never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of everyday.'
And his supportive mother Terri - whose husband Steve died in 2006- fully supports her son's desires to push boundaries on TV.
Robert Irwin (left) tells DailyMailTV that dangerous interactions with wildlife are 'his passion' and he's happy to put his life on the line for his animal encounters
Robert is the 15-year-old son of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, the family (L-R) Robert, Terri, Steve and Bindi are pictured together months before his death in 2006
The Irwins were in Los Angeles to promote their second season of Crikey! It's the Irwins on Animal Planet
Robert, Terri and daughter Bindi spoke up about their passion for showing animals in the world through TV despite the dangers at the Paley Center's Evening with the Irwins to promote their second season of Crikey! It's the Irwins on Animal Planet.
Robert admitted: 'I definitely get asked a lot about this - is what you do dangerous, this is crazy, jumping on crocodiles and all this crazy stuff. But the thing is, driving to this event was probably 10 times more dangerous than any crocodile I've ever jumped on by far. So the thing is, we all live dangerous lives to a certain extent, whether we realize it or not.
'We never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of every day. But I think for me, the wildlife work that I get to do, it's what I live for. It's what I love, it's my passion, it's what dad was passionate about, it's what my family is passionate about. It's something that I definitely want to continue for the rest of my life, it's what I've dedicated my life to.
'That's the thing, there's always, always going to be close calls with wildlife and it's exciting, that's what makes it fun. It's edge of your seat because you don't know what's going to happen. It's completely unpredictable and it's the spice of life, it's great.
'I'd rather be doing that then a desk job for sure.'
His mother Terri says she cannot quash Robert's passion.
'I think it's about learning about wildlife and having those experiences. If you love to ski, you always love that more challenging slope. And if you love mountain biking, you don't want to do the little tiny jumps. So I understand that butterflies are beautiful but bears are kind of awesome so I get that and I share that with him and his passion as well.'
'We never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of everyday,' Robert tells DailyMailTV
Robert, pictured with his late father months before his death, said wildlife is 'what I love, it's my passion, it's what dad was passionate about, it's what my family is passionate about'
Robert is pictured swimming with a turtle and says his animal encounters are 'the spice of life' and he'd rather be doing that than a desk job
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Terri explained to DailyMailTV that her husband's death was simply a freak accident rather than him dicing with death.
Irwin died at 44 after being pierced in the heart by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary called Ocean's Deadliest.
Terri defended the shoot: 'Steve would have been as shocked as anybody for an ocean pancake to kill him. I mean think about it, these are beautiful, shy, really special animals. And with this particular ray, it had been interacting with Steve on it's own accord for a long time, so I think when Steve did a final ending shot, I think the ray might have forgotten about him and thought he was a shark or something and was acting defensively. So I don't want anyone to not love rays.
'They're beautiful, please don't be afraid of them. The last time an accident like that happened in Australia was 75 years earlier. It was just a fluke accident. And I can remember Steve used to say to me, I hope a crocodile doesn't get me because I don't want people to hate crocodiles.
'None of us know, when your time is up, you need to reveal in every day,' she said. 'Every day has to be special, and Steve did that so I really feel no regrets and I'm very proud of the way he lived.'
Sister Bindi, 20, famous for winning Dancing With The Stars, admitted that Robert's outlook on life mirrors his father.
'He's a lot like dad. Honestly, he is more and more like dad every single day. Where he walks like dad, talks like dad, he likes to deal with more challenging animals like dad.
'I am so proud of him. And of course being the older sister, I am very protective and worried about him always but he is so good with every animal and in this next season you'll see he's taking on a lot of new challenges.
'Some that are quite large and a little intimidating but he is so kind and patient and really intelligent that we always know that he's going to be safe, and we're always here for him so no matter what at the end of the day we're a family and always going to support each other.'
Robert, Terri and Bindi continue Steve's mission to bring people closer to animals through their show Crikey! It's the Irwins on Animal Planet
Steve's wife Terri insists that her husband's passing was unexpected and not him putting his life on the line, calling the fatal sting ray accident a 'fluke'
'I think it's interesting where as a family, we've worked with wildlife our whole life. I mean, since the moment I can remember, since I was born, honestly, I was playing with animals and working with them and educating people about how special they are, the role they play in our environment.
'And I think, to tell you the truth, I am more comfortable being around a giant salt-water crocodile or a giant Burmese python than I am with people. My dad always used to say I love working with crocs because you know they are always going to try and eat you.
'You know what you are going to get with a crocodile. With people, they will try to be your friend first. So you know, I think we're pretty lucky where our whole life has been spent trying to educate others on these beautiful animals so we're not really risk takers, we're more teachers and we've been put on this earth with a reason and a purpose.'
Terri, Bindi, and Robert Irwin continue Steve Irwin's mission to bring people closer to animals and ignite the connection that will ensure an abundance of wildlife for generations to come on their series.
From running Australia's largest family-owned zoo, Australia Zoo in Queensland, to crisscrossing the world protecting and celebrating the most wondrous animals on the planet, the show gives audiences an all-access, front-row seat to experience the sights and sounds of their thrilling wildlife adventures and the amazing animals that continue to inspire their conservation efforts.
