- - The Major Shakeup in Steve and Terri Irwin's Relationship

Lauren AndersonJanuary 15, 2026 at 5:22 PM

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The extraordinary love story between Steve Irwin and Terri Irwinobviously started with kangaroo poop. But after that came a four-week lull of silence.

As a guest on Danielle Fishel's "Teen Beat" podcast, the conservationist reflected on the first time she met the late Crocodile Hunter while visiting Australia. Terri, 61, had a free weekend and arranged to spend time at the zoo where Steve worked.

Steve put her up in a nearby hotel, and for the next two days, Terri joined him at the zoo doing the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work: raking kangaroo poop, prepping food for animals, and pitching in wherever she was needed.

"It was heaven," she said. "I had the best two days ever."

Then she had to head home. And silence followed.

Days passed. Then weeks.

"By week three, I thought, 'I’m guessing I misunderstood what this was,'" Terri admitted. "I was like, 'I’m not calling him. If you want to talk to me, you have to call.'"

Four weeks later, the phone finally rang.

"He called and said, 'I’m gonna be there in 10 days,'" she recalled. "And I thought, 'That’s very presumptuous—how do you know I haven’t met someone else?'"

She hadn’t, of course.

"I was pretty much hung up on him," she admitted.

Without even realizing it, Steve timed his trip for Thanksgiving in Oregon, where Terri lived. He met her entire family on that very first visit, and the rest is history.

Terri and Steve married at her grandmother's church in Oregon in June 1992. Instead of a traditional honeymoon, they headed straight to Queensland, where they began filming what would become The Crocodile Hunter. They eventually welcoming two children, Bindi in 1998 and Robert in 2003.

Their story was tragically cut short in 2006, when Steve died at age 44 after being struck in the chest by a stingray barb The sudden loss shocked fans across the globe and left Terri to carry on without her soulmate.

Nearly two decades later, she’s done exactly that. Terri continues Steve’s conservation mission through Australia Zoo, Wildlife Warriors, and countless global efforts to protect animals and habitats.

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”