Like father, like son. Robert Irwin found himself in a familiar situation as his late father, Steve Irwin, when he was accidentally bitten by a snake Wednesday.
Robert Irwin shared a video of the snake attack during the filming of the Animal Planet series “Crickey! It’s The Irwins,” reported Daily Mail. 16-year-old Irwin was seen affectionately handling a carpet python as part of the show, but the snake suddenly lunged and bit his face.
“Déjà vu. Dad and me getting bitten by the same species of snake (carpet python) decades apart,” Irwin wrote on Instagram. “I found this python on the side of a road, but as you can see, sometimes snake rescues don’t quite go to plan.”
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The incident is eerily similar to a clip from Steve Irwin’s renowned show, “The Crocodile Hunter,” where he also had a snake lunge towards his face. Steve Irwin responded with his trademark composure, uttering a casual “son of a gun” before continuing without skipping a beat, reported Daily Mail. (RELATED: All Five Meerkats Mysteriously Die At Philadelphia Zoo)
Robert Irwin shared a side-by-side comparison, showcasing both himself and his father smiling at the camera despite the bloodied aftermath from their snake bites. Much like his father’s coolness, Robert Irwin continues educating his audience about carpet pythons.
“I got a little bit too close so he gave me a bite,” Irwin says in the video. “They’ve got extremely sharp teeth, it’s like little needles.”
Steve Irwin passed away in 2006 after a fatal encounter with a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary. His family continues his commitment to conservation through its wildlife educational series.
“Losing a dad at such a young age, that’s a tough thing to go through,” Irwin told ET. “For me to have so much of my life with him captured on camera, it’s just wonderful, because when the memories start to fade, I can literally just rewind and press play and relive all of these most amazing moments.”