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Bindi's life on the wild side
20/01/2007 14:28 - (SA)
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| Bindi Irwin talks with Melissa Charbonneau of CBN News during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. (Lauren Victoria Burke, AP) |
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Washington - For the millions of fans who mourned the sudden death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, his family has a message: His daughter is ready to continue her famous Australian father's conservation work.
Five months after Irwin was killed by a stingray, eight-year-old Bindi Irwin and her mother Terri are touring the United States, eager to spread Steve's message about the wonder of wildlife and to promote Bindi's upcoming television series.
When asked if the attention was too much too soon, Terri said Bindi had told her after Steve's death that she wanted to get back to filming wildlife shows as soon as possible.
"Grief is a road that each individual travels in their own way," Terri told an audience at Washington's National Press Club on Friday, her daughter by her side.
"For us to get right back up and be able to say that Steve's work counted for something" has been a help to the Irwin family and others.
Steve Irwin was killed in September when a stingray's barb stabbed him in the chest during the filming of a documentary.
'Wildlife warrior'
Australian authorities have handed over the video of Irwin's death to his family and destroyed all copies to prevent the grisly footage from being made public. Terri has said that the family destroyed the footage.
"My daddy was a wildlife warrior," said Bindi, who has been around wild animals and television crews since she was born. "And I'm going to become a wildlife warrior just like he was."
As proof of her commitment, Bindi then cheerfully described some of the world's most ferocious animals as "so sweet and gentle", praising crocodiles as "such great mothers" and snakes as "just gorgeous".
Wife's life was a 'constant adventure'
Bindi and the Irwins' other child, Robert, "grew up in a world quite different from most families," said Terri.
"They live in the middle of a zoo. We wake in the morning to the sounds of tigers roaring, elephants trumpeting, lemurs screaming, crocodiles roaring, parrots squawking."
American-born Terri said her life with Steve was a "constant adventure", using an impersonation of Steve's distinctive Australian accent to describe his enthusiasm for "doing everything right now".
"It was my honour to be hanging onto the other side of that thrashing crocodile or holding the bag for a huge, hissing snake," said Terri, who occasionally stopped her speech to cry. "I embraced the journey wholeheartedly."
Before she left the press club, Bindi was asked how she compared snakes to reporters: "I really think I like poisonous snakes," she answered, grinning for the dozens of assembled cameras and journalists.
- AP
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