Steve Irwin Suffered Before His Death

Deceased "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin masked a great deal of pain and suffering behind his famous public persona, according to his father in a broadcast interview Monday.

In the interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp., Bob Irwin, 68, said that the audience did not realize how much pain his son dealt with when making public appearances.

But Irwin did not list any explanation of specific types of things that lead to his son's suffering.

"People don't realize just how much he gave of himself," his father said. "He was always very good in front of the media, and a lot of the pain and the suffering didn't show through."

Bob Irwin left Australia Zoo last month for what was rumored to be an ongoing rift between him and his son's widow, Terri.

Irwin did not come out and say that the rumors were false, but simply said that he was leaving the zoo because he felt that his presence had become a "disruptive influence."