Robert Irwin just gave Prince William one very toothy namesake
Robert Irwin names one big crocodile after pal The Prince of Wales.
The loving bestowed gesture goes to one very specific animal: a 12-foot saltwater croc now officially carrying the name Prince William.
And this is not just Robert handing out royal nicknames for fun. The crocodile is the 300th croc tagged as part of the long-running research program at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Queensland, making him a milestone animal for the project.
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Wildlife With a Royal Twist
Robert Irwin’s newest crocodile namesake celebrates conservation, research and one very memorable 300th tagging milestone.
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Prince William the crocodile is milestone number 300
Irwin called the animal a “big boy” and a “modern-day dinosaur” while introducing him, explaining that the naming was meant to recognize Prince William’s conservation work.
The research team plans to track the crocodile for the next 10 years, collecting information on what he eats, how long he can dive and how environmental changes affect his body temperature.
The Irwin-William connection is built around conservation
Their relationship recognizes a shared commitment to wildlife protection and conservation causes. Robert serves as an ambassador for William’s Earthshot Prize, the environmental initiative created to support solutions to major global climate and conservation challenges.
So naming the 300th tagged croc after the Prince of Wales lands as more than a cheeky royal gesture. It ties a real research milestone to the conservation work that brought the two into the same orbit in the first place.
A very Irwin way to mark a royal friendship
If there was ever going to be an Irwin version of naming something after a friend, naturally it would involve several hundred pounds of muscle, teeth and prehistoric attitude.
And Prince William the crocodile now has a decade of research ahead of him — arguably a much more useful royal duty than waving from a balcony.
Watch Robert Irwin Introduce the Crocodile Named Prince William
Irwin introduces the 300th crocodile tagged in the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve research project and explains why the 12-foot saltwater croc was named after the Prince of Wales.
Sources: Robert Irwin; Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve; Earthshot Prize; Press Association.
