Steve Irwin’s family share moving tributes to ‘Crocodile Hunter’ 20 years after his death

Two decades on from the sudden death of Steve Irwin, his widow Terri and children Bindi and Robert have paid tribute to the "superhero" conservationist.Known globally as the Crocodile Hunter, the Australian zookeeper and TV presenter hosted multiple natural history shows that captured audiences' imaginations at home and internationally prior to his 2006 death following a fatal encounter with a stingray.Bindi and Robert have sustained his work in environmental protection, appearing on TV shows and managing their family-run Australia Zoo in Queensland alongside their mother, zoo owner Terri.Bindi, who was only 8-years-old when her father died, posted a clip of Irwin reflecting on "the most incredible wildlife encounter of my life" – the birth of his daughter.She wrote: "Twenty years ago, today, the world lost the most passionate and dedicated wildlife conservationist. Our family lost our superhero. My mum lost the love of her life; my brother and I lost the greatest dad."Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day. Where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love."I always thought that my dad’s legacy is wildlife conservation; it turns out, his legacy is love. For our planet and for each other."Bindi noted that her five-year-old daughter watches her grandfather’s programmes each morning and feels "utterly loved by her ‘grandpa crocodile’, despite never meeting him.She added: "My dad left a lasting impact so poignant that it will ripple out for generations to come. I believe with my whole heart that his love will live on forever."Dad, I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for being our guardian angel. And most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now, too. She loves you so much. We all do."Bindi is married to former American professional wakeboarder Chandler Powell, with whom she has a daughter, Grace.Meanwhile, Irwin’s son, Robert, now 22, shared an image of himself with his father alongside the caption: "Your legacy is forever."Terri, who is also a conservationist and owns Australia Zoo, recalled her last weeks alongside Steve, adding that "grief still walks with me like my shadow".In an Instagram post, she wrote: "With the passing of time I have gained more perspective and understanding. We were together as a family, on our crocodile research expedition, for what was to be our final six weeks together."Ours was to be a long and sweet goodbye. Steve spent time with Bindi and Robert building swings and climbing trees. We all slowed down. Time slowed down. I believe that all of us, every one of us, gets to say goodbye."We just may not know that we’re saying it. Hold every moment dear with the ones you love. Until we meet again."