Robert Irwin has dedicated his life to carrying on his late father’s legacy through conservation efforts with at-risk animals. However, he almost met the same fate as his dad after a terrifying near-death experience with a crocodile. Keep reading to find out what happened.
Steve Irwin Died Nearly 20 Years Ago
Steve Irwin became a global icon for his conservation efforts, which were documented on The Crocodile Hunter. The Australian native famously caught “problem” crocodiles and relocated them to safer places. But he worked with a variety of animals.
He was filming the Ocean’s Deadliest at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, on September 4, 2006, when tragedy struck. During a break from filming the documentary, he was filming an episode of his daughter’s show, Bindi the Jungle Girl. He was fatally hit in the chest by a barb from a stingray while snorkeling above it.
Despite his crew’s best efforts, Steve Irwin died from the injury. His daughter, Bindi, was 8. His son, Robert, was just 2. Both of his children honored him while competing on Dancing With The Stars.
Robert Irwin Reveals Terrifying Near-Death Experience With Crocodile
Robert Irwin, along with his sister, Bindi, and mother, Terri, continues to operate the family’s zoo in Australia. Steve Irwin’s son opened up about a terrifying experience he had recently with a crocodile. While appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night talk show, Robert Irwin shared details about his near-death experience. He explained that his father came up with a unique way of capturing crocodiles by jumping on their backs.
“I jumped onto him. I kid you not, 14 foot of crocodile, big croc, death-rolls me,” he said about a crocodile he’s had since it was a baby. Robert Irwin revealed that he named the crocodile after the talk show host. I named this crocodile Jimmy Fallon, like, years ago, and he’s now what we call a boss croc. He’s huge.”
He revealed how he was able to get out from under the heavy crocodile before another tragedy struck the family. “So I’m stuck underneath him with my arm hanging out. I’ve got like probably, I don’t know, maybe 700 pounds on top of me. And I’m just like, ‘What do I do?’ And luckily he rolled back the other way, and I was fine,” Robert Irwin shared.
The conservationist won Season 34 of Dancing With The Stars in November 2025. Now, just a few months later, he returns to the franchise, but not on the dance floor. The Mirror Ball Trophy champ hosts Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, which premieres on Monday, July 13, 2026. Share your reaction to his terrifying crocodile story in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
