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Robert Irwin recently recounted a harrowing experience involving a crocodile, emerging unscathed to share his story.
During a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the 22-year-old conservationist revealed he was caught in a “death roll” by a 14-foot crocodile, humorously named Jimmy Fallon after the talk show host when the reptile was just a baby.
“He’s grown significantly since then,” Robert remarked. “I named this crocodile Jimmy Fallon years ago, and now he’s what we call a boss croc. His size is quite formidable.” Robert went on to explain, “In order to better understand and conserve these creatures, which was a strategy developed by my dad, we actually have to jump on them in the wild.”
He shared with Fallon that when he leaped onto the crocodile’s back, the massive creature initiated a “death roll,” a move crocodiles use to subdue their prey.
“So there I was, on top of this 14-foot crocodile, and suddenly it death rolls me,” Robert described. “I found myself pinned underneath, my arm protruding awkwardly, with about 700 pounds pressing down on me. In that moment, I wondered what my next move should be. Fortunately, the croc rolled back the other way, allowing me to escape unharmed. He’s quite a character.”
Robert is the son of beloved reality TV star and environmentalist, Steve Irwin, also known as “The Crocodile Hunter,” who was known for his work trying to teach the public to respect and protect all animals.
Steve died in September 2006 after a stingray’s tail pierced his chest and caused a fatal injury to his heart while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef, when Robert was 2 years old.
Since his death, his wife, Teri, and their two children, Robert and Bindi, who was 8 years old when Steve died, have taken over his mission towards advocating for all animals and running the Australian Zoo in Queensland.
“To continue this legacy is the honour of my life,” Robert shared on Instagram in October alongside a reel featuring footage of him and his father when he was younger, and of his father with animals. “If I can make my dad proud, I’ve done my job. Behind everything I do is a conservation mission that my dad started.”
Both Robert and his older sister Bindi competed on and won “Dancing with the Stars,” with Bindi taking home the mirrorball trophy in 2015 during season 21 when she was 17 years old.
Robert took his turn in the ballroom in the fall of 2025, winning the show with his partner, Witney Carson.
“Coming over from Australia, I didn’t know how it would go. I didn’t think I’d make it this far, because I didn’t realize how incredibly supportive America would be,” he told Men’s Health in December 2025. “It’s impossible to put into words how much that has meant to me, because what I represent is so much more than just a dance.”
When speaking with Men’s Health, Robert also shared that he felt “grateful” to have been brought back week after week, because to him it meant that “what I stand for is being heard and that is incredible.”
“When I step into the ballroom, I’m representing a legacy that my dad [Steve Irwin] created with my mom. I’m representing everything I stand for, not only as a wildlife conservationist, but also as someone who is working really hard to try and spread some positivity and passion,” he said. “I want to be a role model for young people.”