Why Is Bindi Irwin Having 'The Hardest Time' In Her Life Since Her Dad's Death?
Bindi Irwin has been through a lot in her life. As fans know, she's the daughter of the legendary Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, who was known for daring animal stunts that were enough to make anyone's blood pressure spike. In 2006, Steve died in a freak accident while doing what he loved — hanging out with animals. While he was filming his show at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the tail of a stingray struck Steve in his heart, killing him and leaving the world to deal with his loss. Steve left behind kids Bindi and Robert Irwin and his wife, Terri Irwin.
The family has made efforts to keep Steve's memory alive, constantly sharing posts about the late patriarch on social media. On almost every anniversary of his death, Bindi has penned a touching tribute, and the same was true on the 15th anniversary, which was made even more special as it was the first that her daughter was alive for.
"This sweetheart has been watching her 'Grandpa Crocodile' on the projector at our camp here on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. She lights up when she sees him on screen," Bindi wrote, alongside a photo of her daughter in the iconic khaki Australia Zoo uniform. "I wish with all my heart that Dad could hug my beautiful girl. It's been 15 years since he passed away. I hold on to the thought that he's her guardian angel now, watching over the most special part of my life, Grace Warrior."
The pandemic was tough on the Irwin family
A lot has happened since the death of Steve Irwin. In an interview with Page Six, Bindi Irwin opened up about what a tough time the family has been having with the Australia Zoo, which closed for an extended period of time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview came ahead of Season 4 of "Crikey! It's The Irwins," filmed during the pandemic.
"It has probably been the hardest time in our lives other than when dad passed away," she confessed. "For us, it's been difficult [because] Australia Zoo has over a thousand animals. We literally can't ever close." And even when they were on a strict 78-day lockdown, the work continued for the family, since the animals still needed to be fed and cared for, even though visitors were not permitted to enter the zoo due to COVID-19 restrictions. Bindi also made sure to praise her mother, Terri Irwin, for all of the hard work that she put in during lockdown.
Aside from it being a tough time on lockdown, there were a few bright spots to 2021, including the birth of Bindi's daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. In March, Bindi introduced the world to her baby girl, sharing a photo of herself and her husband, Chandler Powell. "March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter," she wrote on the upload. How sweet!