Steve Irwin Day is celebrated every year on Nov. 15 to honor the life and legacy of Steve Irwin, who dedicated his entire life to wildlife conservation.

Interesting facts about Steve Irwin:

  • Steve Irwin, who was born on Feb. 22, 1962, grew up in his parents' reptile park in Queensland, Australia. He spent most of his childhood taking care of the animals and feeding them.
  • Irwin met his wife, Terri Raines, at his zoo, and the couple spent their honeymoon trapping crocodiles together, which was featured as the first episode of the wildlife documentary "The Crocodile Hunter." Irwin later became popular by the name of the documentary.
  • Apart from wildlife, Irwin was interested in jet skiing and trained in the martial arts system of Gaidojutsu
  • Irwin, who was brave around crocodiles and snakes, was afraid of parrots and hippos.
  • He established Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide in 2002 for the protection of injured, threatened, or endangered wildlife.
  • Irwin died on Sept. 4, 2006, while shooting for his daughter's TV series after a short-tail stingray barb struck his chest during snorkeling.
Steve Irwin
'The Crocodile Hunter', Steve Irwin, poses with a three-foot-long alligator at the San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco, California, June 26, 2002. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Here are some interesting quotes from Irwin that will encourage you to preserve wildlife. (Courtesy: Gracious Quotes)

  1. "I have no fear of losing my life – if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it."
  2. "I have a message for my fans. Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner."
  3. "All you have to do in life is be passionate and enthusiastic and you will have a wonderful life."
  4. "My job, my mission — the reason I've been put onto this planet — is to save wildlife. And I thank you for coming with me. Yeah, let's get 'em!"
  5. "We don't own the planet Earth, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife."
  6. "If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Share my wildlife with me. Because humans want to save things that they love."
  7. "We humans still have a long way to go in learning to live harmoniously with our environment and its wildlife."
  8. "I probably don't show fear, but I suffer from fear like everyone else."
  9. "My message is simple: love and conserve our wildlife."
  10. "I want the cleanest water, the freshest air, and wildlife in abundance... but most of all I want a future for our children."