This wildlife warrior isn’t so little anymore! As of December 1, the son of the legendary Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin turned 18 on Wednesday and celebrated this milestone with an “epic party” at Australia Zoo, surrounded by friends and family. 

The Zoo shared a series of photos of the Irwin family expressing their love and affection for the young conversationist.

“We are so proud to have watched you grow up right here at Australia Zoo, feeding crocs and photographing all sorts of wildlife while spreading the message of conservation. We can’t wait to see what adulthood has in store for you,” their post reads. 

In addition to the slew of messages from Robert’s friends, his mum, Terri Irwin, shared a heartwarming Twitter post of a side-by-side comparison snap of Robert as a young boy sitting on a beach next to a comparison picture of him on the same bench as an adult. 

Proud big sister Bindi celebrated this special occasion with a warm Instagram post, talking about their private life away from the spotlight. 

In an interview with The Morning Show, Robert admitted that while it was “surreal” to be turning 18, what he’s really looking forward to is becoming more “involved with running Australia Zoo and “every facet” of the business. 

“There’s so much going on and of course with our wildlife conservation work all over the world, I’m just looking forward to becoming an adult and getting stuck into working full-time,” he said, mentioning how it was unlikely he would start “partying too crazy.”

“…my life’s dangerous enough with animals,” the young zookeeper quipped to the TV hosts. 

Ahead of his 18th birthday celebrations, Robert also shared that while he plans to celebrate his birthday at the zoo, he was also going out of his comfort zone and into the ocean to face sharks. 

Robert had been invited by Discovery to swim with great white sharks as part of their Crikey! It’s Shark Week special. The then 17-year-old explained how he was following in his father’s footsteps, getting as close as possible “to these incredible creatures to determine which apex predator reigns supreme – Crocs or Great Whites?” 

In a press release from the zoo, Robert said it was “truly extraordinary to be able to connect with wildlife, especially on my birthday”  and I hope that one day it will inspire others to “ become true conservationists and save wildlife.”