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OUR
MISSION
The Bob Irwin Wildlife Fund is a
not-for-profit conservation
organisation affiliated with the
Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Queensland, which
is dedicated to the preservation of
all wildlife and its habitat for
future generations.
We
are inspired by Steve's passion for
conservation, and commit to
continuing his vision to leave this
world a better place. We recognize
the beauty and value of our natural
world and intend to assist projects
and organizations that have the
courage to find and implement
positive solutions to environmental
challenges. We are dedicated to
building our venture openly and
honestly with our supporters so that
the highest standards of
responsibility, transparency and
integrity are maintained. We hope
to motivate and encourage
like-minded people to join with us,
so that together, we may recognize
and protect the magnificence of our
delicate world, for the sake of our
children and generations to come.
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BOB
IRWIN BIOGRAPHY
Bob Irwin lived his childhood
in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, Australia,
where his intense interest in wildlife and its
environment
occupied all of his spare time. After
originally pursuing a career as
a plumber in Melbourne, Bob and his wife Lyn
decided to uproot the family and follow their
dream to sunny Queensland where they opened a
Reptile and Fauna Park at Beerwah on the
Sunshine Coast.
Bob's passion for reptiles grew with his ever
expanding collection and he soon became involved
with various venom labs, for which he would
catch the snakes that were later milked for the
production of life-saving anti-venom. His
love of crocodiles saw he and his son Steve
secure contracts with the Environmental
Protection Agency to
catch and relocate crocodiles that were involved
in human conflicts.
With regular trips to Cape
York during these years, Bob developed a love
for the area that sees him returning regularly
even these days.
Throughout his career, Bob has been involved in
a number of scientific projects, including
discovering a new species of freshwater turtle -
the Elseya irwini, a rare turtle found only in
the Burdekin River Basin - and a research
project in Cape York catching and satellite
tracking wild salt water crocodiles.
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Following Lyn's
tragic death in
2000, Bob moved
to one of
Australia Zoo's
conservation
properties,
where he
fulfilled the
role of Manager,
demonstrating
that it is
possible to
effectively
produce cattle
without
detrimentally
affecting the
environment or
its wildlife.
On this property
Bob was also
instrumental in
instituting a
koala tracking
program, in
conjunction with
the University
of Queensland,
to investigate
the outcome of
rehabilitated
koalas following
release.
In 2004 Bob
remarried and
since his
resignation from
Australia Zoo in
2008, he and his
wife Judy have
lived on a
property near
Kingaroy where
they gratefully
co-exist with
the local
wildlife.
Since
establishing the
Bob Irwin
Wildlife Fund in
2008, Bob has
become ever more
vocal in
representing
Australia's
wildlife and
making the
general public
more aware of
their often
desperate
plight.
Since the fund's
inception Bob
has worked with
volunteers from
a number of
grass-roots
environmental
organisations to
draw attention
to such issues
as the massacre
of wombats in
farming regions,
the inhumane
slaughter of
dugongs, the
atrocities of
the kangaroo
industry and the
imminent loss of
koalas from
South East
Queensland.
He may be a 'man
of retirement
age' but Bob has
never been more
passionate about
our wildlife and
its environment
and will
continue his
lifelong calling
to fight on its
behalf.
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