Robert Irwin has revealed why he named a wild crocodile after Prince William, in honour of the royal’s conservation work.
The wildlife conservationist joined Des Clarke, Adele Cunningham and Grado on Heart Scotland Breakfast, where he shared the story behind the unusual tribute and explained how he is continuing his late father Steve Irwin’s legacy.
Robert explained that his dad started a crocodile research project more than 20 years ago, involving catching, tagging and releasing wild crocodiles.
During an expedition in August, Robert and the team reached a major milestone by catching their 300th crocodile, a 12-foot-long male that he decided deserved a special name.
Robert told the Heart Scotland Breakfast team: “In gratitude to Prince William’s amazing conservation work, I’m like this one is Prince William’s so right now he’s out there in the wild!”
Adele was keen to hear more about the naming decision, asking Robert what Prince William thought of the gesture.
However, there was another name in the mix, with Robert revealing that he had also named a crocodile Graham after television presenter Graham Norton, leading to a light-hearted comparison between the two namesakes.
Robert explained that Prince William was disappointed to discover that Graham’s crocodile was larger than his own, recalling the reaction: “Dang it!”
The story offered a glimpse into the work behind the Irwin family’s conservation efforts, as Robert continues to build on the project his father began more than two decades ago.
The crocodile research programme focuses on wild animals, with the team catching, tagging and releasing them as part of its ongoing work.
And while Prince William now has a crocodile named in his honour, Robert’s story suggests that even a conservation project can have a little fun along the way.
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Listen to Heart Breakfast Scotland with Des Clarke, Adele and Grado weekdays from 6.30am across Scotland and on YouTube.