Conservationist Robert Irwin is passionate about animals. However, his life nearly came to an end after a frightening encounter with a crocodile.
The “Dancing With the Stars” winner recently sat down with talk show host Jimmy Fallon to describe the incident.
Robert Irwin Was Nearly Killed By One of His Crocodiles
During an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Robert Irwin detailed a frightening situation involving one of his animals. The conservationist told host Jimmy Fallon that years ago, he named a baby crocodile after him.
“He’s not a baby anymore. I named this crocodile Jimmy Fallon, like, years ago, and he’s now what we call a boss croc. He’s huge,” the reigning DWTS champion shared. “Because we research crocodiles in the wild to, like, better conserve them, right? So the way you do that, my dad came up with this, is you actually have to jump on them, right?”
Irwin went on to describe how he leapt onto the large crocodile’s back before the reptile rolled over on top of him.
“So I jumped on the back of Jimmy Fallon,” the 22-year-old described as the audience erupted in laughter. “I kid you not, 14 foot of crocodile, big croc, death rolls me. So I’m stuck underneath him with my arm hanging out. I’ve got like probably, I don’t know, maybe 700 pounds on top of me. And I’m just like, ‘What do I do?’ And luckily he rolled back the other way, and I was fine.”
“But yeah, lots of baby animals at the zoo, it’s great,” Robert added.
Recently, the Irwins let Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children name a baby kangaroo at the Australia Zoo.
The Australian Conservationist Carries on His Family’s Legacy
While speaking to Jimmy Fallon, Robert Irwin also spoke about his family’s work and dedication to animals.
“At the core of everything I do, it’s about continuing a legacy. It’s about creating a sense of unity toward this goal of you know, environmental preservation,” he shared. “Our conservation work goes from strength to strength. Everything that I am, I live and breathe. The charity, Wildlife Warriors, that I have, that’s what it’s all about for me. Keeping that fight going. My dad started that and it’s my job to keep it going.”
Robert Irwin initially joined “Dancing With the Stars” for fun, but quickly realized he could use dance as a medium for storytelling. He frequently used his platform on DWTS to spread awareness about wildlife conservation.
“I gained so much respect for the craft of dance,” the season 35 winner told Jimmy Fallon. “I never thought I could represent everything that I was about, this message that’s behind everything I do, on the ballroom dancing. But here we are. And it was just the privilege of a lifetime honestly.”
Luckily for fans, Robert Irwin’s role on DWTS isn’t quite over yet. The 22-year-old hosts the spin-off show coming this summer as the series hunts for the next pro dancer.
Robert Irwin hosts “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” premiering on Monday, July 13. “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 premieres this fall on ABC.
