‘Bail, bail, bail’
Steve Irwin’s son, Robert, has released incredible footage of the moment he was forced to flee a crocodile enclosure after the reptile charged at him.
Robert has followed in the footsteps of his late father and has amassed millions of followers around the world for his dangerous exploits, conservation efforts, and unusually close relationship with wild animals.
He was just two years old when his father passed away after being pierced in the chest by a stingray in September 2006.
Robert released the footage ahead of the US screening of the final episode of Crikey! It’s The Irwins.
In the clip, the 18-year-old is in the Crocoseum, an exhibition at Australia Zoo, and shows him feeding Casper, who is described as Australia Zoo’s ‘wildest crocodile’.
It’s all part of Robert’s efforts to gauge Casper’s readiness to be the star of the regular midday show at the zoo.
“If he’s coming out of the water giving big strikes, that means he’s gonna be ready for the Crocoseum show,” he’s heard saying in the clip.
“Casper has such a wild behaviour, and since Dad first got Casper, he’s had that instinct.
“I’ve got no idea how he’s going to react, and, honestly, that’s quite terrifying.”
But Robert got more than he bargained for and is heard telling the crew to “bail, bail, bail” on two occasions as Casper charges when he loses interest in the food on offer.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZngjzhJc0X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The enclosure was always a dream of Steve’s. It aims to give visitors a better understanding of crocodiles and allow them to get close to them.
The construction of the Crocoseum involved bringing nearly 7,000 cubic metres of dirt to level the building site and had over 1,800 solar panels installed on its roof.
“Crocodiles use the murkiness of the water in their territory to camouflage from their prey. By using clear water, we can highlight for you the dangers that can be lurking just below the surface of a seemingly serene billabong,” Australia Zoo said of its crocodile entertainment space.
“Steve’s dream was to be able to use an intricate system of channels and gates to allow him to house several male saltwater crocodiles alongside each other in private enclosures, and bring them individually out into the centre of the Crocoseum for our crocodile shows.”
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