Terri Irwin
Encyclopedia
Theresa Penelope "Terri" Irwin, AM
(née Raines; born July 20, 1964) is an Australia
n-based, American
-born naturalist
, author
, the widow of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin
and owner of Australia Zoo
at Beerwah
, Queensland
, Australia
. She co-starred with her husband on The Crocodile Hunter
, their unconventional television
nature documentary
series along with its spin-off
series, Croc Files
and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries. She has lived in Australia
since 1992, when she married Steve Irwin.
, the youngest of three daughters of Clarence and Judy Raines. Her family was in the truck
ing business. During her childhood, her father constantly brought home injured animals from the highways on which his trucks travelled; this eventually instilled in her an ongoing commitment to saving and rehabilitating wild animals. While working in the family business in 1986, she started a rehabilitation
facility called "Cougar Country" to re-educate and release predatory mammals such as fox
es, possum
s, raccoon
s, bear
s, bobcat
s, and cougars back into the wild. Soon she was handling 300 animals each year.
She joined an emergency veterinary hospital in 1989 as a veterinary technician
to gain further knowledge on the care and support to all kinds of animals. Her life was very busy, as she was still helping her father run the family business, rehabilitating animals through her "Cougar Country", and working at the vet hospital. In addition, she had fifteen cats of her own, several birds and a dog.
In 1991, she went on a tour of Australia
, and while visiting wildlife rehabilitation facilities, she had a chance meeting with and was charmed by Steve Irwin
, whose father had owned the Australia Zoo. A "whirlwind romance" followed: They were engaged after only four months, and eight months later, on June 4, 1992, they married. Their first television documentary was filmed on their honeymoon
. The footage, shot by John Stainton
, became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter, which later became successful in America.
The couple settled in Australia, Terri leaving her Cougar Country project behind in the United States. However, as a partner in their wildlife enterprises and television shows, she believes she was able to do far greater work on behalf of wildlife conservation
.
In addition to their two popular television programs shown on the Animal Planet
television network in the United States, in 2002, the Irwins released a feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
.
In an interview before the birth of their second child, Terri Irwin had this to say about her marriage and working with her husband Steve:
, Tasmania
, when her husband Steve died on the morning of September 4, 2006 after sustaining chest and heart injuries from a short-tail stingray
barb which pierced his heart. He was filming an underwater documentary at the time at Batt Reef
near Port Douglas
in Queensland
.
In her first statement since her husband's death on September 4, 2006, Terri announced the Australian memorial service on September 20, 2006, at Australia Zoo in Queensland, would be open to the public, and that people who wish to attend should make a donation to Irwin's "Wildlife Warriors" fund. The service was held at the "Crocoseum," a 5,500 seat open-air amphitheater, which Steve built at the zoo and which Terri chose over any larger facility. She also thanked well-wishers for their "overwhelming outpouring of love, support and prayers for [her] family". Terri herself was seemingly too upset to speak at the ceremony. She remained with her young son, Bob, during the proceedings, but her daughter Bindi spoke about her love for her father, for which she received a standing ovation.
Australian TV network Channel 9
screened an interview between Terri and local presenter Ray Martin
, on Wednesday 27 September, at 8:30pm on the station. During the interview, she said "And I'll make Australia Zoo bigger. I'll make it bigger... because I promised." Barbara Walters
announced on The View she would be holding an exclusive interview with Terri, which aired September 27 in the US.
On October 31, 2006 she was invited to the Royal Albert Hall
to award a Special Recognition Award
to Sir David Attenborough
at the British
National Television Awards
. When she came on stage, the entire audience gave her a standing ovation out of recognition for her bravery in light of her husband's death. She fought back tears in appreciation of the British people, while the camera cut to Neighbours
star Alan Fletcher, who was shown to be fighting back tears also. She cited Attenborough as a great inspiration for her late husband, saying "If there's one person, other than his father, who directly inspired my husband, it's the person being honoured tonight." and going on to say "[Steve's] real, true love was conservation- and the influence of tonight's recipient in preserving the natural world has been immense."
Attenborough reciprocated by praising her husband for introducing many to the natural world, saying "He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was; he was a born communicator."
On 3 January 2007, the only video footage showing the events that led to Irwin's death was handed over to Terri, who said the video would never become public, and noted her family has not seen the video either. In an 11 January 2007 interview with Access Hollywood
, Terri said "all footage has been destroyed." On March 2, 2008 it was announced that Bob Irwin
, father of Steve Irwin
, had resigned from Australia Zoo
, of which he was the founder, in order to "keep his son's dream alive" on a different property with his wife. In a statement to the press, the elder Irwin thanked the staff for all their help but made no mention of Terri whatsoever. At the same time, the zoo was being sued for $2.5 million by a debt collection agency, but the lawsuit was later dropped in an out-of-court settlement.
for services to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry.
("Honorary" membership in the Order of Australia is a version of the award given to non-citizens of Australia; Irwin had not yet become an Australian citizen at this time.)
's Crocoseum.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(née Raines; born July 20, 1964) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-based, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, the widow of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
and owner of Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo is a zoo located in the Australian state of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains. It is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association , and is owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter made the...
at Beerwah
Beerwah, Queensland
Beerwah is a town on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. It is situated north of Glass House Mountains, approximately 80 km north of Brisbane, and just south of Landsborough. The main road through Beerwah is called Steve Irwin Way. It was formerly known as the Glasshouse...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She co-starred with her husband on The Crocodile Hunter
The Crocodile Hunter
The Crocodile Hunter was a wildlife documentary television series that was hosted by Steve Irwin and his wife Terri. The show became a popular franchise due to its unconventional approach and Irwin's approach to wildlife...
, their unconventional television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
nature documentary
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
series along with its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, Croc Files
Croc Files
Croc Files is a wildlife documentary television series focusing on crocodiles first aired on cable TV channel Animal Planet. It was created as a spin-off to the original Crocodile Hunter and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries series hosted by Australian naturalist Steve Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin...
and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries. She has lived in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since 1992, when she married Steve Irwin.
Early life
She was born Theresa Penelope Raines in Eugene, OregonEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, the youngest of three daughters of Clarence and Judy Raines. Her family was in the truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
ing business. During her childhood, her father constantly brought home injured animals from the highways on which his trucks travelled; this eventually instilled in her an ongoing commitment to saving and rehabilitating wild animals. While working in the family business in 1986, she started a rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide the food, housing and medical care of these animals, returning them to the wild after treatment.-Process:Rehabilitation begins...
facility called "Cougar Country" to re-educate and release predatory mammals such as fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, and cougars back into the wild. Soon she was handling 300 animals each year.
Career
Veterinary technician
In North America, the principle paraveterinary workers are called veterinary technicians or veterinary technologists-Job description:Technical skills include:...
to gain further knowledge on the care and support to all kinds of animals. Her life was very busy, as she was still helping her father run the family business, rehabilitating animals through her "Cougar Country", and working at the vet hospital. In addition, she had fifteen cats of her own, several birds and a dog.
In 1991, she went on a tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and while visiting wildlife rehabilitation facilities, she had a chance meeting with and was charmed by Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
, whose father had owned the Australia Zoo. A "whirlwind romance" followed: They were engaged after only four months, and eight months later, on June 4, 1992, they married. Their first television documentary was filmed on their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
. The footage, shot by John Stainton
John Stainton
John Stainton is a motion picture film artist . He was close friends with Australian naturalist Steve Irwin prior to his death in September 2006...
, became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter, which later became successful in America.
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
.
In addition to their two popular television programs shown on the Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
television network in the United States, in 2002, the Irwins released a feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course is a 2002 Australian comedy-adventure film based on the nature documentary series The Crocodile Hunter, starring Steve Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin. The Irwins play themselves filming an episode of The Crocodile Hunter while trying to protect a crocodile....
.
In an interview before the birth of their second child, Terri Irwin had this to say about her marriage and working with her husband Steve:
"We don't drink, we don't smoke, and we are actually in love and happily married. We love our little girl, we go home to each other at night, and we believe in what we are doing.
Say my husband had a dangerous job and I wasn't with him; I don't know how you go, 'Oh honey, how was it with the police department today? You got all your fingers and toes today?' It would scare me. I'd have to become a police officer and work with him; I couldn't do it."
Widowhood
Terri and her children were reportedly trekking in Cradle MountainCradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Rising to 1,545 metres above sea level it is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, when her husband Steve died on the morning of September 4, 2006 after sustaining chest and heart injuries from a short-tail stingray
Short-tail stingray
The short-tail stingray or smooth stingray is a common species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It occurs off southern Africa, typically offshore at a depth of , and off southern Australia and New Zealand, from the intertidal zone to a depth of...
barb which pierced his heart. He was filming an underwater documentary at the time at Batt Reef
Batt Reef
Batt Reef is a coral reef off Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. It is centred at and is part of the Great Barrier Reef.The reef is about 18 km long by 5 km wide, lying northwest to southeast, at the northern side of Trinity Passage that leads from the inner Reef channel from Trinity Bay to...
near Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
In her first statement since her husband's death on September 4, 2006, Terri announced the Australian memorial service on September 20, 2006, at Australia Zoo in Queensland, would be open to the public, and that people who wish to attend should make a donation to Irwin's "Wildlife Warriors" fund. The service was held at the "Crocoseum," a 5,500 seat open-air amphitheater, which Steve built at the zoo and which Terri chose over any larger facility. She also thanked well-wishers for their "overwhelming outpouring of love, support and prayers for [her] family". Terri herself was seemingly too upset to speak at the ceremony. She remained with her young son, Bob, during the proceedings, but her daughter Bindi spoke about her love for her father, for which she received a standing ovation.
Australian TV network Channel 9
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
screened an interview between Terri and local presenter Ray Martin
Ray Martin (television presenter)
Raymond George "Ray" Martin AM is an Australian television journalist. He is best known for his various on-air roles on Channel Nine from 1978 to 2008. In 2011 he returned to 60 Minutes....
, on Wednesday 27 September, at 8:30pm on the station. During the interview, she said "And I'll make Australia Zoo bigger. I'll make it bigger... because I promised." Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
announced on The View she would be holding an exclusive interview with Terri, which aired September 27 in the US.
On October 31, 2006 she was invited to the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
to award a Special Recognition Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
to Sir David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
at the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
. When she came on stage, the entire audience gave her a standing ovation out of recognition for her bravery in light of her husband's death. She fought back tears in appreciation of the British people, while the camera cut to Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
star Alan Fletcher, who was shown to be fighting back tears also. She cited Attenborough as a great inspiration for her late husband, saying "If there's one person, other than his father, who directly inspired my husband, it's the person being honoured tonight." and going on to say "[Steve's] real, true love was conservation- and the influence of tonight's recipient in preserving the natural world has been immense."
Attenborough reciprocated by praising her husband for introducing many to the natural world, saying "He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was; he was a born communicator."
On 3 January 2007, the only video footage showing the events that led to Irwin's death was handed over to Terri, who said the video would never become public, and noted her family has not seen the video either. In an 11 January 2007 interview with Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, Terri said "all footage has been destroyed." On March 2, 2008 it was announced that Bob Irwin
Bob Irwin
Robert "Bob" Irwin is an Australian naturalist, animal conservationist, and a pioneering herpetologist who is also famous for his conservation and husbandry work with apex predators and reptiles...
, father of Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
, had resigned from Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo is a zoo located in the Australian state of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains. It is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association , and is owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter made the...
, of which he was the founder, in order to "keep his son's dream alive" on a different property with his wife. In a statement to the press, the elder Irwin thanked the staff for all their help but made no mention of Terri whatsoever. At the same time, the zoo was being sued for $2.5 million by a debt collection agency, but the lawsuit was later dropped in an out-of-court settlement.
Conservation support
Terri Irwin has expressed support for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and was present at the launching of one of the organization's vessels which was renamed after her husband.Honours
In 2006, Irwin was made an honorary Member of the Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for services to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry.
("Honorary" membership in the Order of Australia is a version of the award given to non-citizens of Australia; Irwin had not yet become an Australian citizen at this time.)
Australian citizenship
Terri Irwin, an American by birth, became an Australian citizen on 15 November 2009 in a tribute to her late husband Steve. The citizenship ceremony was held during the Steve Irwin Day celebrations in the Australia ZooAustralia Zoo
Australia Zoo is a zoo located in the Australian state of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains. It is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association , and is owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter made the...
's Crocoseum.
External links
- Crocodile Hunter.com.au The Irwins' website, The Crocodile Hunter
- Animal Planet Crocodile Hunter
- Terri Irwin Interview
- Animal Planet profile of Terri Irwin
- Australia Zoo