Robert Irwin, the young wildlife warrior* following in his late father* Steve Irwin’s footsteps, has been awarded GQ Australia’s Social Force of the Year.

This honour comes ahead of the glitzy* GQ Men of the Year Awards, where stars gather to celebrate the nation’s male game-changers*.

Last year’s awards saw the likes of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, actor Russell Crowe, DJ Fisher and homelessness ambassador Nedd Brockmann mingle to celebrate the people who made a difference.

Irwin’s not just about khakis and critters — he’s making waves in the conservation* world and even traded his usual Australia Zoo attire* to dress up in designer menswear for the GQ MOTY photo shoot.

“My soul and my heart is khaki, that’s for sure,” Irwin told GQ Australia.

“But I embrace my own individual style and I’m not afraid every now and again to get a bit edgy* and to try something different.

“It’s weird, even though I’ve literally been born into it — that Royal Family effect* — it still doesn’t make sense.

“I don’t understand why paparazzi* follow me into the grocery store and report on what I buy. Like, who cares?”

As the son of the beloved Crocodile Hunter, Steve, Robert has carved his own path in wildlife conservation.

The 20-year-old was interviewed having just driven seven hours from Mourachan, Queensland, one of three natural wildlife refuges* his family’s zoo owns in Australia.

“Climate change* is taking a toll on our country as a whole … and our area of natural wildlife refuge is one of the last safe havens,” he said.

Despite his fancy suit for the photo shoot and prestigious GQ award, Robert remains committed to conservation.

He’s taking up the mantle* of his father’s conservation legacy, reaching millions through social media, where he shares heartfelt moments with animals, echoing his dad’s passion.

The Irwins gained fame around the world for Steve’s crocodile wrangling and snake handling but much of their conservation efforts happen when the cameras aren’t rolling.

When Steve was Robert’s age, he started visiting an area of The Cape York Peninsula that has since been named the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. There he worked with local communities to save the crocodiles many people wanted dead.

“He’d been spending months at a time out in the bush, rescuing crocs, honing his craft, his skills and then becoming, you know, the most well-known wildlife conservationist in history,” Robert said.

Steve Irwin passed away in 2006, a tragedy that rocked the nation and the world. Australian schools and offices stopped to watch the news on television. More than 300 million people globally tuned in to his public memorial*.

Robert was three months shy of* his third birthday, already famous and now without a father.

“When you lose someone like that and it’s such a public thing – you’re three years old, you’re growing up without a father – it’s incredibly difficult. It is indescribably difficult*,” he said.

“But on the other side of that, now, when people come up to me and share a story of when they met Dad, tell me how much his documentary* meant to them, I almost feel like I get a little piece of him back.

“He’s not around anymore to push his message – now it’s my job.”

And Robert’s doing it his way. On TikTok and Instagram, where he has a combined 11 million followers, he has proven himself a natural, recording quick videos with an earnest charisma* whenever he interacts with animals.

A recent video where he teared up introducing the first “Irwin’s turtle” ever bred in a zoological facility* — a species named after his father, who discovered it — racked up 13 million views on Instagram.

“The camera is just another person,” Robert said of his natural presence*, “It’s a person you have a conversation with.”

Beyond social media, he hosts the live feeding sessions at Australia Zoo with some of the same crocs his father first rescued.

“Mate, it is scary every single time,” he said of getting in the enclosure.

“It’s that adrenaline rush* that you get and for me that closeness to my dad, to my family legacy* — I really feel it.”

The full story will be published in GQ, available exclusively in The Australian newspaper on Friday.

GLOSSARY

• wildlife warrior: someone who fights to protect animals and their habitats
• late father: someone’s dad who has passed away
• glitzy: fancy and glamorous
• game-changers: people who make a big impact or difference in their field
• attire: clothing or outfit
• khaki: a light brownish-green colour, in this case, it’s the colour of the Australia Zoo uniform and made famous for often being worn by Steve Irwin and his family
• conservation: protection and preservation of the environment and wildlife
• edgy: bold or unconventional
• Royal Family effect: a reference to being born into a famous family like the British Royal Family, implying a life in the public eye
• paparazzi: photographers who follow famous people to take their pictures
• refuges: safe places or sanctuaries
• climate change: changes in the Earth’s climate, often leading to extreme weather conditions
• mantle: responsibility or duty passed from one person to another
• public memorial: an event to honour and remember someone who has passed away, often attended by many people
• shy of: just short of
• indescribably difficult: extremely hard to put into words how tough something is
• documentary: a film or video presenting factual information about a subject
• natural presence: a comfortable and genuine way of being when in front of others
• earnest charisma: sincere charm or appeal
• zoological facility: a place where animals are kept for study or conservation purposes
• adrenaline rush: a surge of energy or excitement
• legacy: something passed down from previous generations

EXTRA READING

Irwin family blazes digital art trail

Robert Irwin’s close call with cranky croc

Calling all kids: our wildlife needs your help

Robert Irwin urges kids to go wild in their own backyard

QUICK QUIZ

1. What is Robert Irwin’s connection to the renowned conservationist Steve Irwin?
2. How does Robert connect with his father’s legacy in his work?
3. What platforms does he use to connect with millions of followers?
4. What significant event impacted Robert’s life at a very young age?
5. What emotional response did he show in a recent Instagram video, and what was it about?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Social ambassador
What do you think Robert Irwin could be doing, that he’s not already, to help promote conservation and wildlife like his Dad, Steve Irwin?

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How could he use his social media profiles (with millions of followers) to do this?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What do you think makes Robert Irwin so personable and likeable on his conservation videos that he posts on social media, that entices thirteen million people to watch?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Grammar and VCOP
The glossary of terms helps you to understand and learn the ambitious vocabulary being used in the article. Can you use the words outlined in the glossary to create new sentences? Challenge yourself to include other VCOP (vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation) elements in your sentence/s. Have another look through the article, can you find any other Wow Words not outlined in the glossary?