at 19:47 on October 16, 2006, EST.

NEW YORK (AP) - Like father, like daughter.

Bindi Irwin, the eight-year-old daughter of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, will star in a wildlife series to air on the Discovery Kids network early next year. The show's working title: "Bindi, The Jungle Girl."

Her father, animal lover and conservationist Steve Irwin, died from the poisonous jab of a stingray Sept. 4. Besides Bindi, he left behind her mother, Terri, and two-year-old brother, Bob.

The show, now in the early stages of production, was originally "going to be a father-daughter thing," starring the nature-loving duo, Discovery publicist Annie Howell told the Associated Press on Monday. "Steve and Bindi were very enthusiastic about doing the show together."

Irwin will appear with Bindi in scenes filmed before his death, his manager, John Stainton, said in an interview on People magazine's Web site.

"Some people think that I would be afraid of them, but I'm never ever afraid of an animal," Bindi said in an interview Monday on ABC's "Australian Story."

"I just get excited and some that are dangerous I just think, 'Oooh! What's going to happen?' and things like that."

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On the Net:

Discovery: http://www.discovery.com/


©The Canadian Press, 2006

I like when people believe that the show must go on.

I would think that it would be really difficult for her
when she sees the first few that she already filmed with
her father.....she is so young still...I'm just really
thinking that the impact of that will hit her more in the
months to follow....just like it does with most people
that lose a loved one....it may not be easy doing those shows.
But if she manages, more power to her....

She's to young. Right now, I think she should just focus on being a kid...there is plenty of time to continue her fathers legacy...

beret1022 said:

Right on. Let her be a friggin kid. The only job she should have is to smile everyday.