15 YEARS ON LIFE AFTER STEVE

HIS WILDLIFE WARRIOR LEGACY REMAINS STRONGER THAN EVER

- Jennifer Brown

Even before her husband Steve’s tragic death, Terri Irwin made an emotional pledge that she would always carry on his crusade.

Almost as if he knew his days were numbered, the famous conservationist pressed his US-born wife to keep his beloved Australia Zoo open “if anything happened”.

And that has remained brave Terri’s focus after a stingray barb so cruelly took her Crocodile Hunter’s life on September 4, 2006.

Aged just 44, Steve still had so much left to accomplish. And in a moving interview soon after Steve’s death, Terri vowed: “I’ll make Australia Zoo bigger … because I promised.”

Lovingly, single-minded Terri has encouraged their children – Bindi, 23, and 17-year-old Robert – to build on their late father’s legacy.

“We communicate well, and I think it’s a natural effect of losing Steve,” Terri, 57, explained. “I think we became stronger and closer as a family.”