Steve Robert Irwin ( February 22 , 1962 â `` September 4 , 2006 ) was an Australian wildlife lover and a television and movie star . Stephen Robert Irwin ( 22 February 1962 â `` 4 September 2006 ) , known simply as Steve Irwin and nicknamed `` The Crocodile Hunter '' , was an Australian television personality , wildlife expert , and conservationist .