Australia Zoo owner Terri Irwin reveals that the Gladiator star has given officials means to purchase an endoscope needed to save the injured bird after it swallowed a fishing hook.

• Jun 15, 2021

AceShowbiz - Russell Crowe has helped save an injured kookaburra. The "Gladiator" star donated an unknown sum of money to Australia Zoo over the weekend (June 12 to 13) to help officials purchase an endoscope, which was needed to save the injured bird after it swallowed a fishing hook.

News of the kookaburra's plight was first revealed via the Twitter account for Wildlife Warriors, the charity set up in 2002 by the late Steve Irwin and his wife Terri as a way of encouraging others to support the protection of injured and endangered animals.

In the tweet, the charity bosses wrote, "Archie the kookaburra had swallowed a fishing hook when he arrived at the #AustraliaZoo Wildlife Hospital. An endoscope was used to locate the hook, following which it was safely removed using a protective sleeve. Thankfully, Archie recovered and he has returned back to the wild [sic]."

In a follow-up tweet from Terri Irwin herself, it was revealed Russell had donated the funds needed to purchase the life-saving equipment. She wrote, "Thank you @russellcrowe for donating the funds to purchase this life-saving endoscope. Archie really appreciated it!"

Russell is a long-time friend of the Irwin family and previously gifted Terri and Steve's daughter Bindi Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, a fig tree as a wedding gift ahead of their marriage last year (2020).

Alongside the present was a note which read, "Presented to Bindi and Chandler to commemorate their wedding. Love from Russell Crowe and family."

In return, Bindi wished Russell a happy birthday. "You'll always be part of our family. Even though we can't see you right now, we're giving the beautiful fig you gifted us a hug and thinking of you," the conservationist wrote in a post showing off the fig tree gift. "Hope your day is extraordinary."