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The Clean Cut: Bindi Irwin, Crocodile Hunter's daughter, pays tribute to father on 'Dancing With the
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After her father's death in 2006, 8-year-old Bindi Irwin spoke at his memorial service, calling Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin her "hero" and "the best daddy in the whole world." - photo by Alex E. Johnson
After her father's death in 2006, 8-year-old Bindi Irwin spoke at his memorial service, calling Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin her "hero" and "the best daddy in the whole world."

Nine years later, the 17-year-old daughter of The Crocodile Hunter is sharing fond memories of her father as she competes on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." During her performance Monday night with her professional dance partner Derek Hough, Bindi Irwin paid tribute to her father.

Irwin performed a contemporary dance to the song "Every Breath You Take."

In a video shown before her performance, Irwin said the reality of her father's death didn't hit her until later in life, and she occasionally feels as if he will come home. Rehearsing the dance stirred up memories, making it an emotional process.

"No matter where I go, Dad will always be there with me," Irwin said on the show. "His spirit lives on. ... I wish that he could fully understand how much he's done for me and that I miss him."

Australian wildlife expert Steve Irwin was known as the host of a television series titled "The Crocodile Hunter." Continuing her father's legacy, Irwin "has dedicated her life to wildlife conservation," according to abc.go.com.