Steve Irwin’s son Robert proves he’s got a talent all of his own

It’s been 10 years since Steve Irwin exhaled his last breath and now, his son of Robert, has been recognised for his own talent. Robert picked up the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year junior award for photographing something his father was passionate about – crocs!

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of his father’s death, Robert Irwin accepted an award for his heart-stopping, jaw-dropping wildlife photography.

The 12-year-old’s daring photo of a salty snapper with a “toothy grin” came runner-up in the junior category of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition at the South Australian Museum, for photographers under 18 years of age.

The stunning photo which Robert calls “Toothy Grin” shows a large male saltwater crocodile resting on a riverbank in northern Queensland at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.

“The saltwater crocodile is a modern-day dinosaur that is an integral part of the precious ecosystem”, said Robert as quoted by Courier Mail.

“I had the privilege to photograph the awe-inspiring predator in its natural habitat. An amazing experience!”

The judges said Robert’s close-up of a large saltwater crocodile’s teeth exemplified what it is that makes a crocodile ‘croc-y’.

After the presentation and guided tour of the exhibition and public display areas, head of research and collections at the Museum, reptile expert Dr Mark Hutchinson, took Robert and his mother Terri behind the scenes at the Science Centre.

“The idea was to have a look at other ways that we’re using imaging to find out about biology, in this case how animals are constructed and how they work,” Dr Hutchinson said.

“We talked about the imaging we’re doing with CAT scans of skulls and so on … about the sorts of research we were doing.”

Robert was with his mum Terri at the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the South Australian Museum.
Wildlife warrior Steve Irwin died on September 4, 2006 after being struck multiple times by a stingray barb while filming in the waters off the coast of Queensland, near Port Douglas.

The 10th anniversary of Irwin’s death coincided with Father’s Day.

An exhibition of award-winning images from the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition is on at the SA Museum until October 3.

Are you proud of Robert?