People are taking to social media and saying Robert Irwin has been ‘canceled’ after a ‘disturbing’ clip of him has gone viral.
With legendary conservationist Steve Irwin and equally passionate Terri Irwin as parents, Robert was destined to inherit his family’s profound love for nature and its creatures.
But now, the 20-year-old faces a serious backlash after a clip of him has circulated online.
From the very beginning, Robert’s life has been intertwined with wildlife.
He’s been surrounded by creatures great and small since childhood, having grown up at Australia Zoo.
Robert’s journey into the public eye also began early, with him appearing alongside his parents on various television shows.
Sadly, at the tender age of nine, Robert lost his father in a tragic accident.
Since his dad’s passing, Robert and his family have vowed to honor Steve’s legacy by continuing his mission of wildlife conservation.
The 20-year-old has become a prominent figure – he hosts wildlife documentaries and appears on talk shows to raise awareness about environmental issues.
But now, a ‘disturbing’ clip of Robert has caused the internet to turn on him.
Following a recent incident at the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland, social media is abuzz with calls to ‘cancel’ Robert.
The conservationist appeared on Today alongside his mother to promote the zoo’s reopening and the fourth season of their docuseries Crikey! It’s the Irwins.
Footage of Robert with Casper, one of the zoo’s crocodiles, is shown.
It’s led some people to condemn the zoo’s practices and call for an end to wildlife captivity. Meanwhile, others have voiced concerns over the safety of such interactions, questioning the ethics behind putting humans and animals at risk for entertainment, as reported by Daily Mail.
One person writes: “Zoos should never exist, wild animals shouldn’t be held captive for the amusement of humans.”
Another viewer questions: “When will they learn? This is sad. For a show, was it worth it?”
“This is just wrong. Make Robert STOP!!!” fumes somebody else.
A fourth person comments: “He shouldn’t be allowed to do it.”
However, other commenters have come out in support of Robert, with one writing: “People need to chill out and leave this guy alone, do people realize the croc has gone through this routine hundreds of times and it’s not been a problem before?”
Another person remarks: “It’s funny how the internet says cancel but yet his zoo is still running, they still have a website to visit and I’m sure they still have videos on YouTube to watch. Sounds a lot like y’all trying to cancel, but failing.”
The footage that has sparked a backlash on social media shows Robert narrowly escaping a charging Casper.
He’s shown yelling: “Bail, bail bail!”
Fellow keepers rush into the enclosure and help him – Robert maintains a positive outlook on the incident, describing it as ‘a lot of fun.’
On Instagram, he explains why: “We can educate everyone about their conservation. But safety for us is also crucial and you definitely have to know when to call it. And with such a powerful and quick croc like Casper, we had no choice but to bail!”
Robert’s mom, Terri, expresses pride in her son’s work and dedication to studying crocodiles.
“There are days where you cut it finer than other days, but I know that Robert’s well-rehearsed with crocodiles,” she said, per Distractify.
While laughing, she told her son: “Because I watched the crocs that used to try so diligently to kill your dad, and now they’re after you in the same way.”