AceShowbiz - Steve Irwin's son Robert Irwin has celebrated breeding a rare turtle named after his late father. The 19-year-old star made use of his social media account to share footage of the very first Elseya Irwini, Irwin's turtle, hatched at a zoo anywhere in the world.

Robert said in a TikTok video, "This is one of the highlights of my entire life, one of the most special moments ever for Australia Zoo. This species is a turtle that dad originally discovered out in the wild and for the first time we have got a little baby." The emotional "Crikey! It's the Irwins" star added, "It's so surreal. All the stories from dad about how beautiful they are… Dad would be stoked with that. We did it."

Irwin's turtle was first discovered by Steve and his father Bob Irwin during a crocodile-catching trip on the Burdekin River in 1990, although the species has been threatened by the construction of the Burdekin Dam, which has caused a decline in the river's water quality. Steve, nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", died in 2006 after being stabbed by a stingray but Robert and his sister Bindi, 25, have continued their father's animal-loving legacy.

Robert, who was infamously taken to a crocodile feeding by his father when he was just a month old, paid tribute to the conservationist on the 16th anniversary of his death last month and pointed out that it coincided with Australia's Father's Day. He shared a picture of himself as a toddler being held by his dad and wrote, "It's Father's Day today in Australia, and I am sending my love to those who are missing their dad today. I cherish all the good times with my dad and feel grateful to be able to keep his memory and legacy alive."