Steve Irwin’s son Robert reconnects with Robert Downey Jr after meeting as a baby

Robert Downey Jr. was interviewed by Steve Irwin’s son Robert 16 years after meeting him as a baby.

The Iron Man star visited Australia for the launch of his new film Dolittle, when he was reintroduced to another person who can talk to the animals: the son of late Crocodile Hunter Steve.

The last time the pair had met was when the youngest Irwin child was still in nappies and RDJ was visiting Australia Zoo, leaving the 16-year-old totally star-struck to meet his idol again.

‘I’ve got to say, the last time I caught up with you, I was teething,’ the 16-year-old joked, adding: ‘It was a very long time ago’ while the Marvel actor professed to ‘remember it fondly.’

‘My dad absolutely loved touring you around the zoo,’ young naturalist Robert replied, ‘that was one of the highlights of his life.’

Over on Instagram, the teen struggled to maintain his cool as he fanboyed over the actor, writing: ‘The first time I met @robertdowneyjr was when I was just a few months old when he and his family visited @australiazoo – it was awesome getting to catch up again to chat all things #Dolittle.

Robert has followed in his father’s footsteps over the years, most recently being honoured with the Queensland Tourism Young Achiever Award.

Meanwhile, his mother Terri and sister Bindi have also dedicated their lives to nature conservation, made all the more pressing in recent weeks amid Australia’s rampant wildfires.

More than one billion animals have died in the blazes which are spreading across the nation, with the Irwin family having helped rescue 90,000 critters suffering from the ongoing wildlife devastation.

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