As part of the festivities, Robert and his mother held a celebration at the Australia Zoo, filled with performances, wildlife experiences, and other fun activities. YouTuber DisKirra, who was present at the event, filmed some of the occasion, revealing the sweet moment when Robert was surprised with a personal message from his late father. As Robert was thanking everyone involved, his mother Terri rolled out a big birthday cake shaped like a camera used for wildlife photography, leading everyone to sing “Happy Birthday” to him. After, Terri introduced a video of birthday messages for Robert from friends and celebrities. Midway through, the late “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin showed up, as a clip of him introducing baby Robert to a crowd at the zoo started playing. In the video, Irwin earnestly described when Robert was born, saying, “At that very moment, I saw the light. The whole time, you’re here, you’re like, you know, I’m catching crocs, I’m saving wildlife, I’m doing this and I’m doing that, but… when Bindi was born, I had the same sensation. Now with little Bob, same sensation.” At this point, Robert moved closer to his mother as they watched, and they put their arms around each other. Irwin continued speaking in the video, with footage of the family playing as he narrated, “It’s like, this is why I was put here, because I could be dead tomorrow, so I need these blokes to like, come up as quick as they can. So, this little bloke’s going to have to catch the crocs with Bindi,” referring to a young Robert. The late zookeeper’s message was very meaningful, and his next words led Robert to start crying: “When they’re ready to run up our mission, I will gladly step aside. Then, and only then, will I know that I’ve achieved my ultimate goal, and my job will be done. And I guarantee you it’ll be the proudest moment of my life.” The video ended with a sweet moment showing Robert as a toddler jumping into his father’s arms. Speaking to the crowd after the video finished, Robert said, “It means the absolute world … I just think it’s such a privilege, personally and as a family, to continue the legacy of dad. He gave his life, quite literally, for wildlife conservation and to make the world a better place.” The Irwin family continues to promote education and conservation of wildlife at the Australia Zoo.
