The COVID-19 crisis has brought human society to a stop but animals have been affected too. A special episode of the Irwin family’s Animal Planet series, Crikey! It’s The Irwins, premiered last weekend.
Life In Lockdown gave a fascinating insight into how the family have battled to maintain their zoo. It’s been all hands on deck to secure its future.
Australia Zoo in Queensland is home to more than 1,000 animals, many of them endangered. The zoo may have been closed to the public but the animals still needed constant care. “We still had 200 staff coming to care for the animals and the gardens and our food outlets — all with essentially no income,” Terri Irwin said.
The Irwin family includes Terri’s son Robert, 16, and daughter Bindi, 21, who recently got married to American wakeboarder Chandler Powell, 23. All of the family are seen in the episode doing everything they can to keep the zoo running smoothly.
“We got married and immediately went to caring for 1,200 animals with no guests and no money,” says Chandler. “We’ve become closer than ever, and in [Saturday’s special] you get to see me get bitten on the face by a snake,” he says. “So there’s some bloodsport as well.”
While Australia hasn’t suffered as badly as other countries with COVID-19, Terri was quick to offer her support. “Our hearts go out to our friends and family and organisations we support in America. We’re hoping we can stand together with others and offer encouragement.”
The award-winning series Crikey! It’s the Irwins started back in 2018. It features the Irwin family as they continue Steve’s mission to bring people closer to animals and care for wildlife. The excitement levels are obviously always high on the show. The intensity of the COVID-19 crisis has only added another dramatic layer as this special episode shows.
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Check out how Bindi and Chandler celebrated their honeymoon at the zoo:
