Who was Steve Irwin? Google Doodle honours legendary 'Crocodile Hunter'

Today would have been the wildlife conservationist's 57th birthday

Steve Irwin, known as the 'The Crocodile Hunter', would have turned 57 today (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Legendary Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin’s life has been honoured with a Google Doodle on what would have been his 57th birthday.

Known as the 'Crocodile Hunter’, Irwin won legions of fans across the world thanks to his death-defying stunts with wild animals and his famously enthusiastic catchphrases.

Steve Irwin’s life

From a young age, Irwin was surrounded by wildlife. He grew up in Queensland, Australia, where he spent his childhood jumping into rivers to catch crocodiles with his father, who ran a small reptile park.

As an adult, he worked with the state’s crocodile management programme, spending many years single-handedly catching and taming the reptiles.

In 1991 he took over the management of his family’s reptile park, which he later renamed Australia Zoo. His TV career began following the success of a one-off documentary called ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ in 1992. The documentary went on to become a successful television series, broadcast first in Australia and eventually in the US and the rest of the world.

His death

Steve Irwin was killed at the age of 44 while filming for an upcoming series on the ocean's most dangerous animals. He was stabbed “hundreds of times” in the chest by a stingray, in what was described at the time as a freak accident.

His legacy

Steve Irwin’s wife Terri, and two children Bindi and Bob continue his work at Australia Zoo, which is now one of the country’s largest attractions. Before his death, he also created the Wildlife Warriors conservation foundation, which continues to supports the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife.

The Google Doodle

Today's Google Doodle pays tribute to Irwin's life and adventures with a serious of animated slides showing his at Australia Zoo with his family, and filming wildlife documentaries around the world.