ROVE McManus has been awarded for his conservation efforts this morning with an Australia Zoo Wildlife Warrior award.

Rove took to the stage at the Sunshine Coast-based zoo at Beerwah alongside zoo director Terri Irwin and her children Bindi, 10, and Robert, 5, to accept the award which honours the legacy left by Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin who was killed in a stingray attack in 2006.

Terri said that Rove, who was recently appointed vice president of the Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Australia along with conservation legend David Attenborough, had demonstrated a passion and commitment to the cause.

“I really admire Rove and his passion for conservation,” she said. ”He is one man who uses his personality and celebrity to raise awareness for worthy causes and he is bringing the issues of wildlife and wild places to mainstream Australia.”

This year’s second Wildlife Warriors award recipient was the zoo’s own international conservation manager and tiger department supervisor Giles Clark.

As well as playing a pivotal role in acquiring and rearing the zoo’s Sumatran and Bengal tigers, Mr Clark spends hands-on time in the field supporting tiger, cheetah, elephant, orangutan and gorilla conservation programs around the world.

Well deserved if you ask me.