Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 16:25 12 May 2026 GMT
Robert Irwin has revealed the terrifying moment he was "death-rolled" by a 14ft crocodile but thankfully lived to tell the tale.
The 22-year-old conservationist, who is the son of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin, has followed in his father's fearless footsteps at the Australia Zoo.
While both he and his late father are known for their bold interactions with some seriously dangerous creatures, it was Jimmy Fallon that almost landed Robert in a sticky situation.
No, not that one - the crocodile that's named after the talk show host.
Appearing on The Jimmy Fallon Show, Robert revealed that he'd name the croc when it was just a baby, adding: "He’s not a baby anymore. I named this crocodile Jimmy Fallon, like, years ago, and he’s now what we call a boss croc. He’s huge.
"Because we research crocodiles in the wild to, like, better conserve them, right? So the way you do that — my dad came up with this — is you actually have to jump on them."
Robert revealed that after he "jumped on the back of Jimmy Fallon" in the name of work, the crocodile “death-rolled” him.
He explained: "I jumped onto him. I kid you not, 14 foot of crocodile, big croc, death-rolls me. So I’m stuck underneath him with my arm hanging out.
"I’ve got like probably, I don’t know, maybe 700 pounds on top of me. And I’m just like, ‘What do I do?’ And luckily he rolled back the other way, and I was fine. But he’s a goer."
Thankfully Robert survived the ordeal, but such entanglements with wild animals seem to run in his blood.
His father, Steve Irwin, spent his life trying to teach the public to respect and protect all animals, before his tragic death in September 2006, when a stingray barb pierced his chest and fatally injured his heart, while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.
Though Robert was only two years old when he lost his father, the young man has worked hard to continue his legacy, alongside his mom - Steve's wife Teri Irwin - and his sister Bindi, who was eight when their dad died.
Robert shared on Instagram in October: "To continue this legacy is the honour of my life. If I can make my dad proud, I’ve done my job. Behind everything I do is a conservation mission that my dad started."
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