The son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has revealed that he was nearly attacked by a crocodile at the Australia Zoo.
Robert Irwin, 18, posted a teaser clip for the finale of the family’s television show Crikey! It’s the Irwins on his Instagram over the weekend. The video included dramatic footage of Irwin’s attempt to feed Casper, the 12-foot crocodile at the Australia Zoo.
Irwin wrote it was “one of the most intense croc feeds I’ve done,” in the caption of the post, adding,”We prioritise natural behaviour with our crocs. By getting in their enclosures with them, and letting them put on those huge strikes from the water’s edge, they get to use all of their predatory instincts and they just love it!”
The video shows Irwin trying to persuade the crocodile out of the water, after which he is seen getting into the enclosure and scaling the wall near the pool where the crocodile was.
He finished his caption by explaining that he and his fellow zoo crew “can educate everyone about their conservation. But safety for us is also crucial and you definitely have to know when to call it. And with such a powerful and quick croc like Casper we had no choice but to bail!”
Irwin also explains in the video that he and his team are trying to tame Casper to be “the new star of the midday croc show,” at the Crocoseum, the Australia Zoo’s crocodile attraction.
Part of the “test” was to see how Casper reacts to being fed.
“Now we want to see a nice, big reaction from him,” Irwin said in the video. “That’s how we know he’s happy.”
In the video, Casper reacts by jumping out of the water and ignoring the meat Irwin throws at him.
The video ends with Irwin screaming “bail” repeatedly, and running away as the crocodile lunges toward him.
Irwin’s father, Steve, was known for his intense encounters with several animals, including crocodiles. Tragically, it was a stingray that killed him.
On September 4th, 2006, the famous wildlife expert was attacked by a stingray while working on a documentary series called Ocean’s Deadliest, and died at the age of 44.
