The Crocodile Hunter: The Incredible Life and Adventures of Steve and Terri Irwin (12 page)

We decided to split up and parallel each other up the river. We ran about a half mile and then started seeing huge pig tracks along with Sui’s tracks. Sometimes Sui’s paw prints disappeared and there was evidence that she had struggled with the pig and had been dragged along through the mud. Suddenly Steve came upon Sui and the pig. A huge boar was standing over Sui, preparing to finish her off. Sui was lying on her side, gasping for air and covered with mud. The moment this giant, snorting boar saw Steve it took off like a shot.

By the time I arrived, it was all over. Steve was kneeling over Sui, afraid to touch her. My first thought was that Sui must have been mortally wounded. She couldn’t even raise her head. Steve knelt in the mud while I checked her from head to tail. Her gums were a muddy, pale color instead of nice and pink. All four legs were limp and she showed no response when I pinched her toes. Externally, she was showing very little evidence of damage. But what was going on internally? I was certain that she was terribly wounded: I was afraid to tell Steve, but I really thought she had a broken back. When Steve asked me what was wrong I told him that I wasn’t sure. We both agreed that we needed to get her back to camp.

When Steve arrived with the boat, Sui was still unable to move. Back at camp, Steve gently placed her on his swag and we discussed what to do next. I told Steve that I thought we should get her to a vet right away. Then Steve reminded me of our location. It would be at least an hour and a half of four-wheel driving to get out to the road. Instead Steve said that he’d bed down with her for the night and take it one step at a time.

We both stayed up late, watching Sui closely. Before I fell asleep I saw her raise her head. During the night Steve noticed her stir, trying to get comfortable. By morning she was able to stand, although she was shaking badly. We took it easy all day and Sui slowly recovered. To this day, after discussing her condition with several veterinarians, her injuries and recovery remain a complete mystery.

Steve, Sui, and me in the croc dinghy.

When Sui felt up to it, we explored the river by day for signs of crocodiles. Our biggest find was an active crocodile nest site. Steve spotted the mound of leaves and debris raked into a giant nest about three feet tall and ten feet across. It was built on the high end of an island, as if the mother crocodile was trying to nest above flood level. Judging from the size of the nest, she must have been a large croc as well. I went up to the nest site with Steve to help document the find. The eggs were examined and carefully replaced. If Steve was excited by this find, I was overwhelmed! In all my life I never thought I’d get to experience something so special. We left as quietly as we came and rejoiced over the perfect eggs we had found.

That night Sui seemed to be back to her old self and we were still on a bit of a high from the day’s find. I was feeling a bit dreamy, watching the stars, and I realized that I was really falling for Steve. It was definitely love. I was nearly asleep when I heard Steve’s voice out of the darkness quietly asking me if it was still tradition to ask a girl’s father first before proposing. I’m not sure what I said. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure Steve could hear it. I lay awake long into the night. I had a lot to think about.

We returned to the park later that week, safe and sound. There was no more talk of marriage, but a new feeling, almost electric, lingered between us. I was getting into the routine now. Everything from cleaning enclosures to crowd control and even serving in the shop was becoming easy now. But soon I’d be flying back to Oregon.

What with being with the staff all day and Steve’s family all night there wasn’t a lot of privacy, and we’d have to sneak off to some corner of the park to talk about the future and dream. One evening we sat under the fig tree next to the house and relaxed with a cool drink. We were discussing wildlife issues when Steve suddenly asked me to marry him. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t thought about this moment. I just never expected it so soon. Four months earlier Steve and I didn’t even know each other. Then I heard a little voice say, “Yes, I will.” The little voice was mine. It must have been! In the midst of this emotional moment, Steve’s mum came out looking for us. She knew immediately what was going on and ran off to tell Steve’s dad.

The next few days were a rush of celebration—telling the staff, parties, calling my parents, and trying to figure out a wedding date. We decided to marry in June. The wedding would be in my hometown in Oregon. Steve invited me to stay in Australia until the wedding, but I knew I had to get back. I would have less than four months to get ready to change my life forever.

Back in the States it was strange to be in the middle of winter again after leaving the subtropical Sunshine Coast. Time flew by as I made arrangements both to get married and to move so far away. Planning the wedding was a job of pure joy, but I became aware very quickly that some of this joy would be mixed with pain.

The first consideration was for my family. My parents had started their own business in the field of construction back in 1949. Growing up, I’d worked long hours learning this business from the ground up. Dad taught me how to type when I was just eight years old. And Mom was always coaching me on my printing and spelling skills. When I played with the other kids in the neighborhood I didn’t play with dolls, I organized business enterprises selling products ranging from juice to old toys. (Of course, I was always the president of the “company.”) It was only natural that after I got out of school, I would work full-time for my parents. At twenty I was running the family business. Now one of my sisters was buying the business as I was severing my ties and moving on.

Growing up in Oregon: I’ve always had an interest in the outdoors and in business!

Next, I needed to sort out the other love of my life, “Cougar Country,” a wildlife rehabilitation facility for predatory mammals. This, too, would have to be taken over by someone else and the responsibility for some three hundred animals a year (from bats to bobcats) would have to be passed on. The workload had proved to be too much for any of over one hundred volunteers who worked with me. Finally, one woman agreed to follow through with my work, but only for the following twelve months. Seven years of wildlife rescue work in the Pacific Northwest would then also have to come to an end.

I didn’t play with dolls, I organized business enterprises.

Most of the permanently held wildlife was eventually relocated to caring individuals who would look after them for the rest of the animals’ lives. Some of these animals were too badly injured to be released back to the wild. That was the case with Chuck the raccoon. He had been terribly mauled by a dog when he was only about eight weeks old. His mother had been killed trying to defend her young from this marauding pet. Other animals were victims of the entertainment industry—like Malina the cougar. After performing in a movie, she found herself for sale in the exotic pet trade. Steve and I were hoping to get Malina to Australia, so I found her atemporary holding facility nearby.

Steve and I were hoping to bring Malina back to Australia.

Me and Malina, one of my cougar friends from “Cougar Country.”

While I was in the States, Steve was facing the problem of moving Graham, one of the crocodiles. He had grown much more quickly than the other crocs in his enclosure and was fast becoming a danger to them. Steve was going to allow Channel 10 News to film the event, which would show the crocodile lured from the water with a food item so that Steve could drop a loop of rope over its top jaw. Then Steve would drag him from the water, jump on the croc’s head, secure a blindfold, and move him…piece of cake!

Steve had trouble with Graham from the start. Channel 10 flew a film crew to the Park by helicopter—only to find Graham refusing to come out of the water. Several days later, a second attempt also failed. By the third attempt Steve was really feeling the pressure. He was determined to catch this croc for the camera.

As Graham showed interest in the food item, Steve stepped those few inches closer to ensure the lasso would meet its mark. But at the last moment, Graham suddenly shifted his attention from the food item to Steve’s hand holding the rope. In an instant, Graham had hold of Steve’s right hand. As Graham began to drag Steve toward the water, Steve immediately moved with him to avoid losing his arm. When Graham pulled Steve into the water, Steve’s only thought was of survival. Steve landed on Graham’s head and instinctively tried to hang on. This two-hundred-pound weight was not exactly what Graham had anticipated and he let go to swim for deeper water.