Bindi and Robert Irwin remember Steve Irwin with emotional tributes on his b'day: 'Greatest dad'

Bindi and Robert Irwin paid touching tributes to their late dad, Steve Irwin, on his birthday this week. The 'crocodile hunter' and wildlife conservationist would have turned 60 on February 22. Steve Irwin passed away on September 4, 2006, when he was struck in the chest by a stingray at Batt Reef in Queensland. Both his children, Bindi and Robert Irwin, inherited a love for animals from their father and also followed in their father's footsteps to take care of the Australia zoo. Bindi and Robert paid sweet tributes to their father on his birthday. Bindi posted an old image of her as a child with her dad and a snake. She captioned the image: "Happy Birthday to the greatest dad and Wildlife Warrior. Today I'll watch 'The Crocodile Hunter' with Grace Warrior and share stories about her incredible Grandpa Crocodile. I love you with all my heart. Your legacy lives on." 

Robert, 18, posted a picture of himself with his dad on the latter's old bike. "Happy birthday Dad," he captioned the photo. "I love you and I miss you more every single day." He also recalled some of his earliest memories of his dad, which he described as his 'fondest.' He continued, "Hanging on tight to the handlebars of the motorbike, when you'd take Bindi and me on your morning lap of the zoo, before going to get ice cream for breakfast. Every minute spent with you was a blessing." Robert, who recently got his dad's trademark bike in working condition, wrote, "I'm gonna ride that lap on your old motorbike this afternoon."

Both Bindi and Robert are passionate about animals. “We never know how long we are going to be on this earth for, you've got to make the most of every day. But I think for me, the wildlife work that I get to do, it's what I live for," said Robert, reported The Daily Mail. "It's what I love, it's my passion, it's what dad was passionate about, it's what my family is passionate about. It's something that I definitely want to continue for the rest of my life, it's what I've dedicated my life to.” Bindi and her husband Chandler are also actively involved in Australia zoo. The zoo's Instagram account encouraged fans of Steve Irwin to "take a minute to do something kind for our planet today in honor of Steve."

As Steve Irwin himself once said, nothing would make him more proud than his children continuing the work he's been doing. When asked “If there was anything that would want to make him give away what he was doing now?” in an old interview, he responded, “When my children can take the football that I call wildlife conservation and run it up. When they're ready to run up our mission, I will gladly step aside." The video shows Steve Irwin tearing up and choking with emotion as he continues, “And I guarantee you it will be the proudest moment of my life. My job will be done and then, and only then, will I know that I have achieved my ultimate goal—to be able to stand aside and let them run up my mission.”

Recently, Bindi Irwin posted the footage of the interview and said it was the first time she had seen it. "I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe the amount of emotion in my heart once the video ended. My dad. My superhero. I promise to do my best to make you proud and ensure your legacy lives on forever. A new chapter in our lives has begun as we embark on this journey with @animalplanet. There is so much on the horizon. ❤️🐊," she wrote. Both his children along with their mother, Terri Irwin, work at the Australian zoo caring for over 1200 animals. They even have their own Animal Planet show called, 'Crikey, It’s the Irwins.'