Terri Irwin has spoken about the grief she has carried since the death of her husband, Steve Irwin, as the family marks 20 years since the wildlife conservationist was killed by a stingray in Australia.
In a tribute shared on Friday, the 62-year-old said: “After 20 years, grief still walks with me like my shadow,” adding that the passage of time had brought her “more perspective and understanding”.
Terri recalled the final six weeks she spent with Steve and their children, Bindi and Robert, on a crocodile research expedition before his death.
She described the period as “a long and sweet goodbye”, remembering how Steve spent time with the children building swings and climbing trees as the family slowed down together.
“I believe that all of us, every one of us, gets to say goodbye,” she wrote. “We just may not know that we’re saying it. Hold every moment dear with the ones you love.”
Steve Irwin, known around the world as the Crocodile Hunter, died on 4 September 2006 while filming off the coast of Queensland. A stingray barb pierced his heart at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, and he was 44.
Terri, Bindi and Robert have continued his conservation work through Australia Zoo and the family’s wildlife projects. The anniversary has also prompted tributes from Steve’s children, who have followed him into television and environmental protection.
