Tribute to Steve Irwin: Australian Marie Claire, Sept Issue

STEVE IRWIN, 44, CROCODILE HUNTER, AND BINDI, 8

Steve: "The most important thing in Bindi's life is that she's grown up in a zoo. Crikey, we're all over the crocs, the snakes, the birds, the turtles, the kangaroos and the koalas. Bindi's passionate about animals, but she's also into singing, dancing and dress-ups, like any other little girl. "We were up in Cape York Peninsula catching crocodiles and this particular croc that I'd caught was over four metres and he was scary! Bindi walks down from the camp to find me hanging off this crocodile and says, 'Excuse me, Daddy, when you're finished here could you please come back to the camp and play with Barbie?' So when I'd finished with the croc, I went back to camp and played with the Barbie dolls. I'd do anything to spend time with my daughter."

Bindi: "I love that he's funny, he's entertaining and he's always there when I need him most. I'm proud to have a dad like that, who takes on conservation issues around the world. I love him very, very much."

Australia Zoo, 20 June 2006.