Eight-year-old Bindi Irwin takes the stage at Yonge-Dundas Square on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007.
Terri Irwin, widow of late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, holds a baby kangaroo on stage at the G'Day Toronto event.
Crocodile Hunter's daughter continues legacy
Updated Sun. Feb. 18 2007 7:03 PM ET
At Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's memorial service last year, Bindi Sue Irwin promised to carry on her father's legacy as an animal conservationist and "wildlife warrior."
On Sunday, Bindi was fulfilling that promise as she took the stage in Toronto, showing every bit of the boundless energy her father was famous for.
Eight-year-old Bindi and her mother Terri Irwin are Australia's new tourism ambassadors, trying to generate interest in Australia's wildlife. They're in town as part of the G'Day Canada-Australian Biosphere exhibit at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Before a delighted crowd full of youngsters, Bindi danced, sang and seemed to channel her father as she showcased animals including snakes, a lion and a kangaroo from Australia, with the help of zoo director Wes Mannion and the Croc Men.
"The message I want to share with kids my age is to love, don't fear all the animals -- and animals are just like us," Bindi told CTV Toronto's Janice Golding in an interview.
Bindi was a popular fixture in her late father's "Crocodile Hunter" series, and after Irwin was killed by a stingray last September, Bindi vowed to carry on her late father's conservation and television work.
"My daddy was a wildlife warrior, and I'm going to continue his work for him," she said.
True to her word, Bindi will star in a wildlife series to air on the Discovery Kids network early next year. The show's working title is "Bindi, The Jungle Girl." The show's original concept was to star the father-daughter team. Irwin's manager said Steve Irwin will appear with Bindi in scenes filmed before his death.
"He is still with us and it's really nice to have the feeling that he's still in us, he's still all around us," said Bindi.
But Terri Irwin, a U.S.-born naturalist who co-starred with her husband on "The Crocodile Hunter," said it's not always easy for her. "I honour my grief. If I'm having a tough day, I don't try to push it down. I'm okay to cry, I'm okay to have hard days," she told CTV Toronto.
Fans expressed appreciation at the Irwins' efforts. "I was emotional so I couldn't even imagine how they would feel," said one fan. "I think the whole thing with them carrying on with Steve's legacy is really admirable."
G'Day Toronto is designed to promote Australia as a tourism destination, and follows in