Terri Irwin’s plan to save Australia Zoo: Steve’s widow ‘prepares for a sit-down TV special’ after the coronavirus pandemic left the family business on the brink of collapse
Terri Irwin revealed in June that Australia Zoo was on the brink of collapse due to devastating effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on tourism.
But according to Woman’s Day, the wife of the late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, 56, is organising a paid-for TV special to ‘save’ the family business.
Terri is reportedly planning a tell-all interview with her children, Bindi, 22 and Robert, 16, to mark the 14th anniversary of Steve’s tragic death.
Terri Irwin’s plan to save Australia Zoo: Steve’s widow is preparing for a sit-down TV special to reverse the family’s fortunes, after the coronavirus pandemic destroyed the tourism industry
A source claimed: ‘It’ll be highly emotional and a personal look inside their close-knit family. It was actually Bindi’s idea – she really wants to honour her dad.’
‘Nothing will be off limits… They intend to share old photos and videos of Steve that show the late Crocodile Hunter enjoying life with his wife and two kids.’
Steve tragically died on September 4, 2006, after a stingray attack at Batt Reef near Port Douglas, Queensland. He was 44.
Candid interview: Terri is reportedly planning a tell-all interview with her children Bindi, 22 and Robert, 16, to mark the 14th anniversary of Steve’s (pictured) tragic death
Back in June, in a promo for a special episode of Crikey! It’s the Irwins, Terri revealed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left her unable to pay the zoo’s bills.
She revealed the zoo spends a whopping $400,000 per week on wages plus $78,914 on food for the animals.
To make ends meet, she was forced to cut jobs and operate with a skeleton crew of employees to help maintain the zoo during strict lockdowns.
Terri said in the episode, set to air on Animal Planet: ‘I’m the pilot of a big plane and the plane is going down, and I’m handing out all the parachutes I’ve got.
Struggles: In a promo for a special episode of Crikey! It’s the Irwins, Terri revealed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left her unable to pay the zoo’s bills. Pictured (L-R) Robert, Bindi and Chandler Powell
‘Sometimes at the end of the day I’ve just got my head in my hands wondering what we’re going to do tomorrow.’
Terri said she, ‘can’t even come close’ to paying the bills.
She said the zoo’s hardship was particularly emotional due to a promise she made to Steve, who converted his family’s Beerwah wildlife park to Australia Zoo in the 1990s.
‘This was Steve’s passion. Steve would say to me, “if anything happens to me, make sure the zoo continues”. So it’s really important that we keep this going,’ she said.
Bindi, who married her longtime boyfriend Chandler Powell in March, even called off her honeymoon to help her mother out with the rapidly-declining zoo.
Helping hand: Bindi, who married her longtime boyfriend Chandler Powell in March, called off her honeymoon to help her mother out with the rapidly-declining zoo