The death of conservationist and animal expert Steve Irwin following a stingray attack eight months ago shocked and stunned the world. Following on from a British tribute programme on ITV in January, viewers will now get to see the official Australian tribute documentary featuring his family and closest friends.

In never-before-seen archive interviews Steve Irwin himself talks about his legacy, his love of his family and his conservation message.

“I absolutely live for my work,” say’s Steve. “I’m very passionate, very enthusiastic. My whole life revolves around conservation, that is my work, it is my life and I’ll die doing that.”

He also praises his research team and crew including Professor Craig Franklin, and John Stainton his producer and manger worked with him for 15 years.

Wife Terri speaks frankly about her husband’s amazing zest for life, alongside his father Bob Irwin, best friend Wes Mannion and beautiful daughter Bindi aged eight.

“Life with Steve Irwin was constant adventure,” says Terri. “It was constant do everything right now, it was doing things with him I never thought I’d be able to do.”

“From the moment he got up to the moment he went to bed he was at a hundred miles and hour,” say Wes. “If he had to move a log he moved it harder, faster, stronger than anyone else. Everything was a competition!”

The programme sees Steve doing what he loved best, interacting with the animals, from sharks to black rhinos, gorillas to elephants. Such was his affinity with nature he made sure conservation was at the heart of everything he did, from building a special koala hospital at the Australia Zoo, to staying with 30-40 beached Whales on the Tasmanian coastline even when it became apparent they couldn’t be saved.

His legacy will live on not only in his programmes, teaching, and conservation projects but also through his daughter Bindi who now has her own Australian TV show ‘Bindi The Jungle Girl’. From the day she was born Steve took her everywhere with them, and the programme shows footage of her as a baby with him in Mexico By the age of three she was contributing to his shows and learning the importance of all species of animal, even the bull ants that bit her!

“I learnt all of these things from my Dad,” say Bindi. “I looked up to him, he was like this bright shining light to me, he was just amazing.”

“I would describe him as really passionate at what he does saving animals and having fun with me, we had so much fun together,” she says.

Before he died Steve was made an honorary Professor of Queensland University thanks to his good friend and colleague Professor Craig Franklin, and throughout the final, fatal research trip in August 2006 he kept it a secret from Steve so it would be a surprise.

So important was Steve’s role within worldwide conservation and animal handling that wife Terri has vowed that they will carry on his life’s work.

“I feel with Steve that his message and everything has to carry on as if he was still alive, and it’s madness to think that the work of one man is going to have to be continued by millions of people,” she says.

ITV1 Network Sunday 22 April 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM