Image(s): Left/12-foot-6-inch crocodile named “Prince William”/RobertIrwinPhotography/Instagram/Right/Prince William and Robert Irwin/Chris Jackson
Prince William has received an unusual new namesake, a 12-foot-6-inch saltwater crocodile living at Australia’s Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The enormous saltwater crocodile, measuring 3.8 metres or 12 feet 6 inches, was given its unusual name by Robert Irwin at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Queensland.
Irwin introduced the reptile as a “big boy” and “modern-day dinosaur”, turning a major scientific milestone into an unexpected tribute to a royal who has made environmental protection a central part of his public work. Conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late wildlife expert Steve Irwin, gave the reptile the royal name after it became the 300th crocodile tagged through a long-running research project. The animal will now be monitored for the next decade, with researchers collecting information about its behaviour, diet and body temperature as they investigate how climate change could affect crocodiles and their ecosystem. Irwin chose the name in recognition of the Prince of Wales’s commitment to wildlife conservation. The crocodile is the 300th animal to be tagged as part of the reserve’s research programme.
The study could show how climate change affects crocodiles
Now, a 12-foot-6-inch saltwater crocodile carries the prince’s name, while simultaneously becoming part of a long-term scientific record that could help researchers understand how crocodiles respond to a changing climate. Because they are ectothermic animals, meaning their body temperature is strongly influenced by their surroundings, temperature is particularly significant for crocodiles. Long-term tracking of tagged animals can therefore provide researchers with information about how individual crocodiles respond to changing environmental conditions.
The 300th crocodile represents another data point in a study that has been running for years at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The latest animal will provide information over the coming decade, allowing researchers to examine behaviour and physiology while also gathering evidence relevant to the conservation of the species and its wider ecosystem. The unusual tribute brings together two very different kinds of public figures through a shared interest in conservation. Prince William has made environmental action a major part of his work through The Earthshot Prize, while Robert Irwin continues the wildlife legacy of his father, Steve Irwin.
Irwin also connected the moment with The Earthshot Prize, Prince William’s environmental initiative, which was launched as a 10-year programme to support solutions to some of the planet’s biggest environmental problems.
Robert Irwin explained the decision in comments reported by The Independent, saying the team wanted to recognise what he described as the “incredible conservation work” of His Royal Highness. The naming was not simply a playful reference to the future king. Irwin serves as an ambassador for the prize and has developed a friendship with William through their shared interest in conservation.
