Prince William Jokes About Crocodile Named After Him
The Prince of Wales lightheartedly suggested a different, more 'rock-solid' moniker for the reptile.
Prince William humorously deflected the honor when conservationist Robert Irwin revealed he had named a 12-foot-long saltwater crocodile after him.
The anecdote unfolded during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, where Irwin, 22, shared the story with the Prince of Wales, 44.
"We recently caught this beautiful 12-foot unit of a croc!" Irwin recounted. "He was beautiful, death-rolling, he had teeth like this, he came out swinging, he was just amazing!"
Irwin then revealed his decision to name the animal after a "favourite person," the heir to the throne.
"It is Prince William the crocodile!" Irwin declared.
William, however, quickly responded with a jest, "It should have been named after The Rock... it shouldn't be me!"
This naming was previously announced by Irwin on social media in September. He explained the crocodile, measuring 12 feet 6 inches, was the 300th to be tagged as part of a research project on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The reptile was named "in recognition of Prince William's remarkable commitment to conservation and to mark the halfway point of The Earthshot Prize."
Irwin further noted that the crocodile was fitted with a tracker using techniques developed by his late father, Steve Irwin, to gather data for conservation efforts.
William and Irwin have a history of collaboration on conservation initiatives. In September of the previous year, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton sent a congratulatory message to Irwin after he won Dancing With The Stars US. Irwin, an ambassador for William's Earthshot Prize, shared a clip of the finale on Instagram, which prompted a comment from the royal couple's official account: "Congratulations Robert and Witney!" accompanied by a disco ball emoji.
Earlier that month, William had surprised Irwin with a video call to wish him luck for the competition. During their conversation, William mentioned that the Earthshot Prize ceremony had gone "really well" and expressed confidence that "We're going to save the world."
