A five-year-old boy was “starstruck” after meeting Robert Irwin at Australia Zoo on his birthday, with his mum sharing a clip of the sweet interaction.
Charlie, his mum Sapphiroula Condoleon, and his siblings, visited the tourist attraction on Sunday, and were in for a pleasant surprise when they had a chance encounter with the Wildlife Warrior.
“We spotted Robert riding past on his dirt bike toward the reptile area for the talk, so of course, we headed over to see him. The kids were so excited,” Sapphiroula told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“They are huge fans of the Irwins and love wildlife, so it was such a special moment for them.”
During the animal demonstration, Charlie had all his questions answered by Robert, including whether he’d been bitten by a snake.
“The other day, I rescued a carpet python and he bit me right on the eye — he was very naughty,” Robert told the young boy, in the now viral clip.
Sapphiroula praised the 22-year-old for spending so much of his limited time with her son.
“Robert continued chatting with Charlie about snakes and explained what you should do if you’re ever bitten by one,” she said.
“He was so friendly, patient and engaging with him. Robert was absolutely amazing and so generous.
“You can really see how passionate he is about wildlife, and that passion is infectious. Speaking with him was definitely one of the highlights of our day, especially for Charlie on his birthday.”
Seeing the Irwins at Australia Zoo is a “rare” sight as their work schedules often mean they are out of the state or in other parts of the world.
Over the last two weeks, the Irwin family have been hosting animal demonstrations, including the iconic crocodile demonstrations at the Crocoseum, during the school holidays.
Images: Instagram
