The late Steve Irwin was a lifelong advocate for animals in Australia.
It's been a devastating time for Australian wildlife. It is now predicted that around one billion animals have died in the Australia wildfires, and the Irwin family is struggling to cope with the loss.
On Tuesday, Bindi Irwin shared a photo of her late father, Steve Irwin, on Instagram, writing, "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. ???."
The 21-year-old Aussie previously updated fans to let them know that her family and the animals they work with at the Australia Zoo were safe.
"With so many devastating fires within Australia, my heart breaks for the people and wildlife who have lost so much. I wanted to let you know that we are SAFE," she wrote. "There are no fires near us @AustraliaZoo or our conservation properties. Our Wildlife Hospital is busier than ever though, having officially treated over 90,000 patients. My parents dedicated our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital to my beautiful grandmother. We will continue to honour her by being Wildlife Warriors and saving as many lives as we can. ???."
Bindi's younger brother, Robert, and her mother, Terri, recently appeared on the Australian morning show, Sunrise, where a visibly emotional Robert talked about the impact of the fires on the animal population.
"We're seeing all kinds of different injuries," Robert told the outlet. "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."
The Irwin family has been doing everything in their power to help animals at their Australian Zoo Wildlife Hospital. It was recently announced that the family has helped to rescue 90,000 animals in total.
Robert posted about the news on his own Instagram account, writing, "Proud to be one of the many who are coming together to try to affect some positive change during this incredibly difficult time. We’re here to help where we can for wildlife and to treat the survivors. Again, my greatest thank you goes to Australia’s incredible firefighters. If there’s anyone who can band together and lend a hand in crisis, it’s Australians."
The Australian wildfires have inspired celebrities to give, including Chris Hemsworth, Elton John, and Kylie Jenner, all of whom donated $1 million each.
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