Croc kid a wild wonder
In the tradition of his crocodile-hunter dad Steve, the youngest of the Irwin clan is now co-hosting his own wildlife show.
Robert Irwin is the spitting image of his late father and the 12-year-old also has the same gung-ho enthusiasm and passion for nature.
Aimed at kids, his show Wild but True will look at how many modern-day inventions have been inspired by the natural world.
Speaking on the phone from Sydney, Irwin is chatty, enthusiastic and articulate, with the sort of confidence to which many adults can only aspire.
"Wild but True is all about some of the cooler things in nature and it has some awesome concepts," he bubbles.
"It is also fun for adults as well. It doesn't matter if you are nine, 50 or 100, you can always learn from nature.
"We filmed all over Australia and at Australia Zoo, so I got to bring a lot of my animal friends along. They were a little bit unpredictable.
"You never know what is going to happen when you have snakes, tigers and lizards around and things got a bit crazy at times."
Irwin teams up with teen science lover Isabel Yamazaki as they investigate topics such as what animal ability could help to design the best off-roader, how modern technology has replicated the gecko's ability to climb smooth surfaces and how camels provide inspiration for water conservation.
"Isabel was such a fun co-host, she is amazing, she is so good at the science aspect and I was impressed that she also had such a passion for wildlife," Robert says.
A digital friend, Giles, helps them in their efforts and hooks them up via Skype with scientists and researchers.
"I have always loved science and we got to create awesome experiments," Robert says.
"The lab is just amazing; it took a long time to get the set ready.
"It wasn't too hard learning all the lines and another cool aspect is a lot of it is ad lib. The director says here are the lines, this is the point we are trying to get across but you can say it in your own way."
Big sister Bindi was also on hand to give him advice.
"She is the best sister in the world. We are free-range kids, living in a zoo, travelling together and playing together. Bindi gave me a lot of help with the show. She told me to just treat the camera as a person you are having a conversation with. I have learnt a lot from my family."
At times Robert sounds alarmingly mature, such as when he talks about building a platform that will help him get his message across.
But the 12-year-old in him is never far away - he loves his distance education because "there is no homework, once you are done with school you are done".
His late father is a constant source of inspiration.
"I have always been really enthusiastic and passionate about wildlife," he says. "Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps and carry on where he left off.
"He coined the phrase 'wildlife warrior' and that is about speaking up for those who are unable to speak up for themselves and that is what I want to do.
"Our family is so lucky to be in this position. We are empowering kids. We are the next generation and we are going to be changing the world and that is always what I have wanted to achieve. This is our life and this is what we love to do. The Irwin family is always going to be doing this so you will be seeing more of us.
"I don't think there will ever be a time when I say I am done saving the world - now I want to be an astronaut . . . not that there's anything wrong with being an astronaut."
'We are free-range kids, living in a zoo, travelling together and playing together. Bindi gave me a lot of help with the show, she told me to just treat the camera as a person . . . I have learnt a lot from my family.'
