Zoologist Jack Randall has said he learned to follow his passion by watching late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.
Randall – who searches for rare, endangered species in his series Out There With Jack Randall – was the Australian conservationist’s protege after the pair were introduced by actor Russell Crowe.
He left his home in England at 14 to become an apprentice to Irwin, learning to handle snakes and other reptiles.
Discussing what he learned from Irwin, who was killed by a stingray in 2006, he said: “The main thing would be, he was extremely passionate – his passion for what he was doing just took over his life, and that was something I learnt and watched, how he led his life.
“He was so passionate about it, he believed in everything he did. He wouldn’t do anything if he didn’t believe in it.
“And so he followed his heart, and I like to follow in the same way that he did.”
The upcoming series of Out There will see Randall trek deep into the Australian Outback on a mission to interact with crocodiles, pythons, endangered green turtles, feral camels, venomous snakes and wild kangaroos.
It starts on National Geographic Wild on September 16.
