Bindi Irwin is facing a backlash after entering one of the United States’ most heated public relations battles.
The 15-year-old, alongside mother Terri and brother Robert, announced during an appearance on the top-rating US morning TV program Good Morning America that she is teaming up with SeaWorld theme parks through their Generation Nature campaign.
Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment Inc, not associated with Sea World on the Gold Coast, has been inundated by negative media attention, protests and boycotts by performers including Willie Nelson and The Beach Boys in the past year after the release of the award-winning film documentary Blackfish, which probes the treatment of killer whales at the company’s theme parks.
A brief statement issued from Australia Zoo today said,
“Bindi Irwin is thrilled to be involved with SeaWorld Kids through their Generation Nature campaign.
“It’s a campaign that shares her vision to educate young people on the importance of wildlife conservation, to give them greater appreciation of wildlife, and to inspire them to make a difference.
“Bindi believes that the most effective way to do all this is by empowering kids to take positive action with wildlife conservation, and this is precisely what the Generation Nature campaign aims to achieve.”