Bindi & Robert Irwin ‘Working So Hard’ To Honor Father’s Legacy Amid Devastating Australian Wildfires

B.D.

Steve Irwin is gone, but certainly not forgotten — and his conservation spirit lives on through his children.

The late animal lover and TV star must be looking down proudly upon daughter Bindi and son Robert right now. The siblings have joined Steve’s widow Terri in trying valiantly to protect koalas and other animals, working around-the-clock to save Australian wildlife from the devastating fires taking place throughout the country.

Related: Steve’s Son Shows Jimmy Fallon The CUTEST Little Bear Cubs!

On Tuesday, Bindi shared a heartbreaking post about her late father, admitting how she wished he were still around to lead the way in this critical time for conservation.

In a special message on Instagram, she penned:

“Dad spent his life working so hard to protect wildlife and wild places, especially in Australia. I wish he was here right now to give advice and strength during this time of devastation with the bush fires. I know that his spirit lives on through our conservation work and I hope together we can make him proud. 💙🙏🏼.”

She shared a touching old photo of her dad along with it (below):

So sweet. And so sad.

Clearly, Steve’s animal know-how and passion for conservation are sorely missed during this difficult time. Officials estimate more than one billion animals — from thousands of species — have died in the devastating nationwide fires taking place Down Under this season. Just heartbreaking…

Related: Bindi Celebrates ‘Steve Irwin Day’ With Touching Photo And Message!

Of course, it’s also inspiring to see the 21-year-old woman take charge in her own way, and work relentlessly to save animals and protect natural habitats from the infernos. As she herself aspired to in that post (above), her efforts surely must be making her father proud.

Less than a week ago, Bindi also updated her followers about the status of the family’s beloved Australia Zoo, which thankfully was not in any fire danger:

While things are at least manageable on the home front, the Irwin family is also branching out across the country to help do whatever they can to save so many unique and amazing wild animals.

Robert and Terri spoke with the Aussie morning show Sunrise earlier this week, during which Steve’s 16-year-old son revealed tragic information about different ways wildlife has been affected by the relentless flames.

He fought back tears in an emotional moment, explaining exactly what’s going on to the show’s hosts:

“We’re seeing all kinds of different injuries. Obviously smoke inhalation and burns are happening frequently, but also animals are going into areas where they’re not supposed to be to escape the horrific conditions. This means they’re getting hit by cars and are being attacked by domestic animals, so there’s a horrific knock on effect.”

That’s absolutely heartbreaking.

The images of koalas, kangaroos, and other animals burned, injured, and horribly dehydrated have sent shockwaves around the world. To hear about the devastation in this way is just too much to take sometimes.

Terri revealed more about the precarious situation in which koalas, in particular, are being found, as you can see in this video clip:

Ugh… we can’t even. This is the WORST.

So many conflicting emotions here: it’s truly inspiring and heartwarming to see Bindi and Robert take charge like this in honor of their late father. Their conservation work is greatly appreciated and much needed, but it’s also gut-wrenching to look on as the blazes continue. It’s horrible to see the devastation that has gone on across Australia.

Sending so much love to all those affected by this disaster and to those working endlessly to battle the flames. Please, let there be a break in the fires…

[Image via FayesVision/WENN]

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