Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin, follows her father's footsteps. Photo / Reuters
Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin, follows her father's footsteps. Photo / Reuters
KEY POINTS:
Bindi Irwin is to star in a new conservation-themed series, Bindi: The Jungle Girl, on ABC television from July.
At today's launch from a treehouse at the family's Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Bindi said she wanted to continue the work of her father, the late CrocodileHunter Steve Irwin, by teaching children about the importance of animals.
"I'm proud to be showing kids that conservation and helping wildlife is a stack of fun," she said.
"It's just the most amazing thing that we could ever do."
The 26 episodes star the eight-year-old, her mother Terri Irwin, Steve's best friend Wes Mannion, her dance troupe The Crocmen, and Steve, who began filming and has been integrated in later shows with never-before-seen footage.
Terri Irwin said today it would have been a special day for her husband.
"I think he would have said 'Crikey mate, I couldn't wait for Bindi to take over'," she said.
"Bindi's been filming with us since she first hatched.
"It was a natural progression to be doing her own shows, and Steve was involved with the first seven episodes and he really enjoyed watching Bindi doing and showcasing the wildlife that he worked with for so many years. It gave him great pleasure."
The show will debut in Australia on July 18, but will screen in America next month.
