‘She’s the reason we’re still here’: Robert Irwin credits his mother Terri for keeping Australia Zoo afloat – but the pair admit they’re in ‘a tiny amount of debt’
The Irwins have struggled to keep Australia Zoo functioning amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Speaking to Today Extra on Saturday, Robert Irwin has credited his mother Terri for keeping the zoo afloat during the uncertain times.
‘We were walking through the zoo and there were no guests when it would usually be super busy,’ the 16-year-old reflected.
‘She’s the reason why were still here’: Speaking to Today Extra on Saturday, Robert Irwin credited his mother Terri for keeping Australia Zoo afloat. Both pictured
He continued: ‘But mum did an amazing job leading the team through it. She’s the reason why we’re still here.’
Terri, 55, added: ‘We’re still here. We’re in a tiny amount of debt but we’re still here.’
Australia Zoo has since reopened, after being closed for 78 days.
Tough: ‘Mum did an amazing job leading the team through it. She’s the reason why we’re still here,’ Robert told Today Extra on Saturday
In the trailer for ‘Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Life in Lockdown’, Terri became emotional as she revealed a pact she made with her late husband Steve Irwin.
‘He said to me, if anything happens to me, just make sure Australia Zoo continues. So it is really important that we keep this going,’ Terri revealed.
Terri said in the trailer, which was filmed several months ago: ‘We don’t really know how long we will be shut down for.’
‘I wish he was here’: In the trailer for ‘Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Life in Lockdown’ , Terri became emotional as she revealed a pact she made with her late husband Steve Irwin. ‘He said to me, if anything happens to me, just make sure Australia Zoo continues’ she said
‘It might be another month, it might be another six months,’ she added, with her voice wavering with uncertainty.
Bindi openly said she wished her famous father was at the zoo to help: ‘I just keep thinking gosh, I just wish dad was here to help us out with everything.’
Elsewhere in the extended trailer, Bindi talks of the dire predicament the pandemic has put the iconic Australian zoo in.
Worried: ‘We have enough food to continue on for about six weeks,’ Bindi says in the trailer. ‘But after that we are seriously going to be running out of funds’
‘We have enough food to continue on for about six weeks. But after that we are seriously going to be running out of funds,’ she said.
The Queensland tourist attraction reopened its doors on June 12, with strict social distancing policies in place.
Steve ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ Irwin died on September 4, 2006 after he was struck in the heart by a stingray barb on the Great Barrier Reef.
Tragic: Steve ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ Irwin (pictured with Bindi) died on September 4, 2006 after he was struck in the heart by a stingray barb on the Great Barrier Reef