Robert Irwin has seemingly ruffled a few feathers among nature lovers, after the 17-year-old was linked to a helicopter, which reportedly breached world heritage guidelines. Taking to Instagram on last week, the wildlife warrior shared footage from a helicopter tour of Mount Geryon in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania.
In response to an inquiry from the Mercury, the general manager Australia Zoo Luke Reavley said he was not aware of the incident but Mr Irwin was not responsible for the helicopter s flight path. Obviously being a child under the age of 18, Robert wouldn t have been in control of where the helicopter travelled, he said. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is governed by a Fly Neighbourly Agreement between the Parks Service and helicopter operators to promote the harmonious relationship between aviation activities and environmental and conservation interests . The agreement is mentioned in the World Heritage Area Management Plan. Flights in and through the SAs should be kept to a minimum, and aircraft should be operated at an altitude and configuration that will minimise noise and visual impact for ground observers, the agreement reads.