Terry Irwin (nee Teresa Penelope Raines) - naturalist, zoologist, animal advocate, owner of the famous Australian zoo in Bear. The wife of famed TV host and wildlife expert Steve Irwin, author of My Steve.
In the late 1980s, Terry joined the Australian Animal Rehabilitation Center. And since then, her life has been inextricably linked with wildlife.
Facts from the biography
Theresa Penelope was born in the US state of Oregon in the summer of 1964. She was the youngest of three daughters. The family owned a trucking business and also supported a community environmental movement.
Remembering her childhood, Terry said that she and her friends spent a lot of time outdoors, rode a bicycle, and climbed mountains. She often visited a local attraction - the rocks of Spencer Butte, hoping to see snakes. This area in the language of the indigenous inhabitants was called Champ-a te, which translated means "rattlesnake."
Father often went on business trips in his truck and picked up wounded animals that he brought home along the road. Terry nursed them with her sisters, and then let them go back into the forest.
Gradually, the idea of creating a rehabilitation center, which was implemented in 1986, arose. The center annually hosted over 300 species of animals, including foxes, bears, lynxes, cougars, and raccoons. One day, a puma cub fell into their center, who later participated in the filming of The Pursuit of Benji.
Professional career
Terry often helped the local zoo, volunteered, and organized free visits to parks and excursions for children and adolescents. After school, she received a professional education in the field of zoology and continued to do what she loved.
In 1989, Irwin began working in the veterinary clinic as an assistant to gain more experience and knowledge on the care and rehabilitation of all types of animals. At the same time, she helped her father in his business and was engaged in her own pets, because the family had 15 cats, as well as dogs and birds.
In 1991, Terry went on a trip to Australia to get acquainted with the work of rehabilitation centers. While visiting an Australian zoo, she met her future husband Steve Irwin, whose father was the founder of Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. In the future, together they continued to study and help animals.
In 2006, Terry became an honorary member of the Australian Order of Merit for the Conservation of the Wildlife. She was also awarded a doctorate from the State Research University of Queensland.
In 2009, Terry received Australian citizenship.
