EXCLUSIVE: Steve Irwin's Kid Survives Killer Croc Attack — Tragic Hunter's Boy Nearly Suffers Same Fate as Tragic Dad

Wild animal wrangler Robert Irwin seemingly plays with dangerous critters on camera, but the plucky youth recalls barely cheating death when a 14-foot, 700-pound crocodile pinned him underneath and was crushing the life out of him, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The 22-year-old Animal Planet cohost knows messin' with any wild beast is dangerous because his dad, famed Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, tragically died at age 44 when his heart was wounded after his chest was pierced by a stingray barb in 2006. Robert was 2 at the time.

But the Aussie hunk recalls several years ago when he was "death-rolled" by a huge crocodile, nearly ending his short life.

"We research crocodiles in the wild to, like, better conserve them, right? So the way you do that – my dad came up with this – is you actually have to jump on them."

The monster he was checking out was one he'd known for years since it was little, but "he's not a baby anymore," noted Robert.

"I named this crocodile Jimmy Fallon [after the comic and TV host], like, years ago, and he's now what we call a boss croc. He's huge.

"I jumped on him. I kid you not, 14 foot of crocodile, big croc, death-rolls me. So I'm stuck underneath him with my arm hanging out. I've got like probably, I don't know, maybe 700 pounds on top of me. And I'm just like, 'What do I do?' And luckily he rolled back the other way, and I was fine."

Robert and his older sister, Bindi Irwin, 27, have helped spread their dad's conservation message by becoming celebrities in the U.S. – both winning the Dancing With the Stars contest, she in 2015 and he last year.

That fame has helped tremendously with their mission at the Australian Zoo alongside mom Terri to advocate for all animals.