Terri, Bindi, and Robert Irwin, along with Bindi's fiancé, Chandler Powell, all took to social media to share some heartfelt birthday messages for Steve Irwin. The famed "Crocodile Hunter" would have been turning 58 years old on Saturday, February 22nd, had it not been for his tragic death on September 4th, 2006. To honour his memory on this bittersweet day, Steve's family members each wrote some beautiful words about the wildlife expert on social media. Steve's daughter, Bindi, shared an adorable shot of herself and her dad laughing as he holds a porcupine, accompanied by a caption of all the things she did today in his honour.
"Dad, Today is your birthday. I had an extra strong cup of tea just how you liked it," Bindi wrote. "I hugged Mum for you and told her how much we love her. Robert and I went on a hike through the mountains you cherished. I watched one of your documentaries with Chandler and shared stories about you. I walked through your office in the zoo and smiled at our old family photographs. Today and every day I miss you and love you beyond description. You’re always with me." Steve's wife, Terri, took to Twitter to remember her husband.
“Today would’ve been Steve’s 58th birthday,” Terri wrote on the post featuring photos of Steve with each member of their family, as well as a solo shot of The Crocodile Hunter. “While my heart aches missing him every day, I’m determined to celebrate what he loved the most. He was happiest spending time @AustraliaZoo w/ @BindiIrwin & @RobertIrwin. He was my best friend, best dad, & built the best Zoo. I love you.” Steve's son, Robert, kept it simple, sharing a black-and-white shot of the family laying on some rocks with the caption, "Family Always."
Bindi's fiancé, Chandler Powell, who proposed to her on her 21st birthday last summer, also paid tribute to his late father-in-law.
"Thank you for inspiring me and the whole world to love all wildlife," Chandler wrote. "You would be so proud of Bindi, Terri and Robert carrying on the amazing work you started. We will all make sure your message lives on for generations." Steve was working on the documentary series Ocean’s Deadliest when he was attacked by a stingray off the coast of northern Australia and died at 44 years old. The Irwin family has made sure to carry on his legacy by continuing to run the Australia Zoo together, and even rescued and treated tens of thousands of animals affected by the wildlife fires that plagued the country for months.