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Becoming the Crocodile Hunter was more than Steve Irwin<\/strong>‘s career path\u2014it was his destiny.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I was born into it,” he told Yahoo! Australia<\/a> in 2002. “Didn’t have a choice.”<\/p>\n From a young age, Steve joined his herpetologist dad Bob Irwin <\/strong>and wildlife rehabilitator mom Lyn<\/strong> Irwin<\/strong> on expeditions and helped at their reptile park in Australia’s Queensland. He then captured and relocated crocodiles as part of a public safety and conservation effort by the government.<\/p>\n In 1991, Steve took over his parents’ reptile park. It was there he met wife Terri Irwin<\/strong> while she was visiting from Oregon. After they wed in 1992, they began filming the docuseries The Crocodile Hunter.<\/em><\/p>\n Steve and Terri continued their passion of spreading conservation education through their TV shows and park, which they grew into the Australia Zoo, and became parents to daughter Bindi Irwin<\/strong><\/a> and son Robert Irwin<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Steve died on September 4, 2006, after a stingray’s barb entered his heart while he was filming in the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44. However, his legacy lives on through his work and family.<\/p>\n “The proudest thing I’ve achieved personally,” he said in a video shared by Australia Zoo<\/a>, “is my children.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n