They are Australia's most famous family, carrying on the work of the maverick wildlife broadcaster Steve Irwin since his death nearly 18 months ago.
But rumors have been circulating for some time that all was not well within the ranks of the khaki-clad Irwin clan and on Sunday those troubles finally came out into the open. In a move that has stunned many in the country, Irwin's father, Bob, has resigned from Australia Zoo, the tourist attraction on Queensland's Sunshine Coast that he started and passed on to his son.
Bob Irwin made no reference in his farewell statement to his daughter-in-law Terri, who is raising his grandchildren Bindi and Bob. The family rift is said to have occurred because Bob Irwin is unhappy with the way Terri is commercializing the family's animal empire.
The feud was first revealed in the women's magazine New Idea. It said Bob Irwin was unhappy with the way the zoo was being run. It was also claimed that staff were upset that he had been banned from the zoo after an argument with his daughter-in-law.
The report was denied by all sides, but last week stories emerged of another clash over a koala rehabilitation center at Ironbark Station, one of the zoo's conservation properties Bob Irwin had managed since 1999, as it was not making money. Irwin was said to be facing a battle to remain in his home on the property.
In a statement yesterday to Australia's Sunday Telegraph, Bob Irwin said it had been a "difficult decision" to leave the zoo he had helped to build over 36 years. Paying tribute to his son, who died while filming a documentary in 2006, he said he would "continue Steve's dream" at a 98 hectare property he had just bought in another part of Queensland.
Bob Irwin's omission of his daughter-in-law's name and failure to mention her contribution to the zoo shocked many of the its supporters, who were unaware of the strains within the family.
John Stainton, the television executive who promoted Steve Irwin's TV career and is guiding Bindi Irwin's career, said he knew nothing about the dispute. There has also been no further comment from the management of Australia Zoo.
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