Robert Irwin Shares Beautiful News About the Endangered Turtle Species Uncovered By His Father
By Mike-Ross
In his lifetime, Steve Irwin made significant strides in his mission to aid animals. One of his notable achievements was the discovery of a rare freshwater turtle species in 1990, found along the Burdekin River in Queensland. What sets this creature apart is its ability to breathe underwater, a trait uncommon among most freshwater turtles. Following this discovery, the reptile was appropriately named Elseya irwini, often referred to as Irwin's turtle.
Since their discovery, these rare creatures have continued their fight for survival. According to the Wildlife Warriors website, it’s believed that the turtles first started to disappear with the construction of the Burdekin Falls Dam in 1987 — this caused ecological changes that harmed the creatures. Luckily, the Australian Zoo is working to breed and release these turtles in the future, and a monumental first step to that happening just took place! Fittingly, Steve Irwin’s son, Robert Irwin, shared the news.
“This is the very first Elsaya irwini turtle ever hatched for any zoological facility anywhere in the world,” he shared while holding a tiny baby turtle in his hands.
He went on to share with us the turtle’s first moments in the water, something that made Irwin emotional, especially when thinking about his late Dad.
“Wow,” he wrote on TikTok. “This was a special moment. I think Dad would be pretty proud that we’ve become the first to successfully breed the turtle that he discovered. A rare, and unique species under threat in the wild has just been given a second chance.”
Watch this beautiful moment in the video below.
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