THIS is the terrifying moment Steve Irwin's son Rob was nearly eaten by a ferocious crocodile after the fearless teen jumped into its enclosure.

       The 18-year-old proved the apple never falls far from the tree by keeping his cool and navigating the beast just like his late father.

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       Robert Irwin has followed in his late father's footsteps and loves spending time with crocs at Australia Zoo Credit: Animal Planet 7

       The 18-year-old was trying to find out if Casper could perform in the zoo's shows Credit: Animal Planet 7

       But the croc had other plans and made a direct beeline for Rob in the terrifying footage

       But Robert had to run for his life when the huge Saltwater crocodile lunged for him after snubbing the huge chunks of meat he was offering at Australia Zoo.

       He was attempting to find out whether the 12ft beast named Casper was comfortable enough with his new home to be featured in shows at the renowned wildlife park.

       The nail-biting footage, shared ahead of the US screening of the final episode of Crikey! It's The Irwins, shows him head into the den of the zoo's "wildest crocodile" with two other crew members.

       Casper is difficult to spot in the murky waters of his enclosure, as the massive reptile is a leucistic saltwater crocodile - meaning he has much lighter skin.

       He suffers from a notable reduction in dark skin pigment, which means he would have been picked on by other crocs in the wild, according to the zoo.

       Despite Rob heading in keen to see a "nice big reaction" from the reptile, he soon realises he may have bitten off more than he can chew with Casper.

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       He explained: "If he's coming out of the water giving big strikes, that means he's gonna be ready for the Crocoseum show.

       "Casper has such a wild behaviour, and since Dad first got Casper, he's had that instinct.

       "I've got no idea how he's going to react, and, honestly, that's quite terrifying."

       The incredible clip shows the croc climb towards Rob, who is holding two pieces of meat, before it becomes clear Casper has little interest in the food being offered to him.

       As the 18-year-old realises he could be on the croc's lunch menu, he yells at his fellow zookeepers to "bail, bail, bail" as the beast charges towards him.

       The saltwater crocodile's snapping jaws came within inches of the youngest Irwin, before the team safely made it out of the enclosure unscathed.

       Steve himself rescued Casper from the Kimberleys in WA back in 2002, describing him as "very, very aggressive" and a "snappy croc".

       'INTENSE'

       Rob shared the thrilling video to social media, describing it as "one of the most intense croc feeds I’ve done."

       Casper shares the enclosure with fellow reptile Wendy, who suffers from the same skin condition, allowing them both to camouflage easily.

       As well as looking strikingly similar to his father Steve, Rob has continued his epic legacy by getting up close and personal with crocodiles.

       The son has fulfilled the Crocodile Hunter's dream of the Crocoseum, as the late animal lover wanted to give visitors a better understanding of reptiles, while getting to see them up close.

       Nearly 7,000 cubic metres of dirt were brought in to level the building site when it was created, while 1,800 solar panels were installed on the roof.

       Robert is no stranger to being close to crocs - as dad Steve held him in his arms with feeding a saltwater crocodile when he was just one month old.

       Rob, his older sister Bindi and mum Terri run Australia Zoo after Steve was killed by a stingray while filming a documentary in Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2006.

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       The huge Saltwater crocodile lunged at the youngest Irwin Credit: Animal Planet 7

       Steve, pictured with Casper, rescued the crocodile in 2002 due to its skin condition Credit: Alamy 7

       Rob was seen telling his fellow zookeepers to get out of the enclosure in a panic Credit: Animal Planet 7

       Steve Irwin infamously fed a saltwater croc while holding baby Robert in his arms Credit: Matrix