‘Bail, Bail, Bail’: Steve Irwin’s Son Robert Forced To Flee From Aggressive Croc
Irwin and his team were forced to outrun the croc and evacuate the enclosure
The Irwins have released shocking footage that shows an aggressive saltwater crocodile chasing down Robert Irwin within its enclosure.
Robert is the son of Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' who gathered fans worldwide for his dangerous exploits, conservation efforts and unusually close relationship with wild animals.
In 2006, however, Steve Irwin died at 44 years old following a confrontation with a sting ray, which saw him pierced in the chest.
At the time, Robert Irwin was just two years old.
The now 18-year-old has since taken up his dad's legacy.
Robert Irwin released the footage this week ahead of the US screening of the final episode of Crikey! It's The Irwins.
The episode features Irwin attempting to feed Casper, who is described as Australia Zoo's 'wildest crocodile'.
Casper is difficult to spot in his new enclosure as he's 'leucistic', which causes pale colouration of the skin, allowing him to blend into his environment even further.
Irwin is also attempting to gauge Casper's readiness to be the star of the midday show at Australia Zoo.
"If he's coming out of the water giving big strikes, that means he's gonna be ready for the Crocoseum show," Irwin said.
"Casper has such a wild behaviour, and since Dad first got Casper, he's had that instinct," he added ahead of the close encounter.
"I've got no idea how he's going to react, and, honestly, that's quite terrifying."
Despite wanting to see a 'nice big reaction' from the crocodile, Irwin and his team were forced to outrun the croc and evacuate the enclosure.
In the footage, Irwin is heard telling the crew to "bail, bail, bail" on two occasions as they run away from Casper.
The Crocoseum was a dream of Steve Irwin's, which aims to give visitors a better understanding of crocodiles, while getting to see them up close.
It involved bringing in 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."
Featured Image Credit: Animal PlanetTopics: News, Steve Irwin, Australia
Vivienne Kelly