Terri Raines was born in Eugene, Oregon, USA on July 20, 1964. Her father drove heavy-haul trucks and would often bring home wildlife that had been injured on the road. This instilled in Terri a love for wildlife and a desire to help animals from a very early age.
Source; Chelsea House Pub
Terri spent her childhood caring for and riding horses, and spent her summers as a young adult exploring the wilderness area in north-east Oregon on horseback. This further convinced Terri of the need to protect wildlife and conserve wild places.
At 22, Terri was running the family business, working part-time at an emergency veterinary hospital and operating a wildlife rehabilitation organisation called ‘Cougar Country’, rehabilitating and releasing predatory mammals such as cougars, bears and bobcats. It was not long before she was caring for more than 300 animals a year.
Source: Simon & Schuster
In 1991, during a holiday to Australia, Terri visited the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. It was during this visit that she met Steve and realized they shared a common passion for wildlife conservation. After a whirlwind international courtship, Steve and Terri married on June 4, 1992, in Eugene, Oregon.
Steve and Terri filmed over 300 episodes of The Crocodile Hunter, Croc Diaries, Croc Files, New Breed Vets, Ghosts of War and Bindi: The Jungle Girl, and starred in the blockbuster movie The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. These programs have been seen by 142 countries and 500 million viewers worldwide. Steve and Terri’s wildlife documentaries brought Australia Zoo to the world stage and have helped educated millions about wildlife conservation issues around the world.
Source: crocodilehunter.com.au
Becoming an Australian citizen in 2009, Terri continues to be a passionate wildlife spokesperson and conservation icon around the world. She actively speaks out and supports conservation issues, including the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, a 135,000-hectare property in Cape York dedicated to Steve, threatened by strip mining for bauxite. Terri is determined to dedicate the rest of her life to Bindi, Robert and her husband’s passion for conservation. She continues to work with the Australia Zoo family in managing the 100 acre, world-class, award-winning facility which is home to over 1200 animals.
Source: Chelsea House Pub