Terri Irwin honours husband Steve 17 years after his death with touching tribute

05 September 2023 , 16:14

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Terri Irwin honours husband Steve 17 years after his death with touching photo

Terri Irwin has paid tribute to her late husband Steve on the 17th anniversary of his death with a poignant photo and a simple message.

The 59-year-old took to Instagram yesterday to honour the life of the late Australian zookeeper, who died in 2006 after being fatally struck in the chest by a stingray. The tragic accident occurred in the Great Barrier Reef, while Steve was filming scenes for a nature documentary about the ocean's deadliest creatures.

The beloved conversationalist was given CPR by crew members onboard his boat at the time, only to be pronounced dead aged 44 by medical staff upon arrival on Low Island.

Terri, who has proudly upheld Steve's legacy by continuing to run their Queensland zoo following his death, has never been shy about her devotion to her late husband. In line with tradition, she has once again celebrated the 'Crocodile Hunter' on the anniversary of his passing. On Monday, the wildlife expert shared a never-before-seen photo of Steve enjoying a hot drink with his dog with her 148k followers, much to the delight of his adoring fanbase. She captioned the touching snap, "Remembering Steve" and added a red love heart emoji.

Terri and Steve's grown-up children, who have also become TV personalities in their own right, also took to social media to mark the sombre day.

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Their 25-year-old daughter, Bindi, headed to Instagram to share a photo of her as a little girl exploring the local wildlife her father. In the outdoorsy snap, Steve is holding a rattlesnake while a young yet fearless Bindi looks on in amusement. The reality TV star, who has spoken about her grief on multiple occasions in the past, was just eight when she lost her dad.

Terri and Bindi Irwin have paid tribute to the beloved Australian wildlife expert on the 17th anniversary of his death

His anniversary fell just one day after Father's Day in Australia. Steve and Terri's son, Robert Irwin, took to Instagram on Sunday to mark the occasion, writing, "Days like this are filled with so many different emotions, but above all, I choose to make it a happy day to remember the best moments with the best Dad."

Terri has previously said she has no plans to walk down the aisle again, revealing her love for Steve "enough to last a lifetime." The US native married the late zookeeper in 1992, after meeting him eight months prior while she was visiting Australia for a tour of wildlife rehabilitation facilities.

"You know, and I keep saying this, and I think maybe 15 years later people are finally starting to believe me, Steve was it for me," she told The Courier Mail in 2021, before adding that she was "too busy" to even pursue a romantic relationship.

Emma Dooney