When the world lost Steve Irwin in 2006, millions mourned the beloved “Crocodile Hunter.” But for his daughter, Bindi Irwin, then just eight years old, the loss was far more personal and devastating. In a recent appearance on the A Life of Greatness podcast, the now 26-year-old conservationist revealed how her father’s sudden death shaped her childhood in ways she’s only recently begun to fully understand.
Bindi explained that in the aftermath of Steve’s passing, she developed intense separation anxiety. “After losing Dad, I was so worried about losing Mom and Robert that I had a lot of separation anxiety,” she shared. Even small moments, such as when her mother Terri or younger brother Robert left the room, would send her spiraling into fear. “It’s scary when you lose the strongest person in your life,” she admitted.
Terri Irwin quickly became the anchor of the family, raising Bindi and Robert as a single mother while shouldering the weight of continuing Steve’s mission. “My mom is the reason Robert and I are who we are,” Bindi said with admiration. “No matter what was happening in the world, she was there for us. And I don’t know how she did that when Dad passed away, because the whole world shifted and landed on her shoulders.”
The Irwins’ journey was anything but easy. At just two years old, Robert was too young to comprehend the tragedy, leaving Bindi and Terri to navigate the grief together. “Suddenly, Mom became both parents,” Bindi recalled. “Her strength was, and still is, extraordinary.” Through their darkest moments, Terri created a sense of stability for her children, ensuring they felt loved and secure, even when the family’s world had been shattered.
Now, nearly two decades later, Bindi reflects on grief with a new perspective. “Grief is a funny thing in that it changes over time,” she said. “People used to tell me that ‘time heals all wounds,’ but that’s not true. Time changes your grief, but it doesn’t erase it. It’s like a scar on your heart—you carry it forever.” For Bindi, the pain of losing her dad never disappeared, but it evolved into a deeper sense of love, purpose, and determination to honor him.
Her role as a mother to three-year-old Grace Warrior has only deepened that perspective. Watching Grace grow has reminded Bindi of her own childhood, and sometimes, the echoes of her father shine through in unexpected ways. In one especially poignant moment, Grace mistook Robert for “Grandpa Crocodile,” proving that even though Steve never got to meet his granddaughter, his presence lives on within the family.
Despite the sadness, Bindi chooses to focus on light. “Instead of only feeling devastation, I’m now able to feel love and warmth too,” she explained. “I remember the times we had with him, and I feel the greatest sense of wanting to make him proud and carry on his work.” That mission—continuing Steve’s legacy of conservation and wildlife protection—remains at the heart of everything the Irwins do today at Australia Zoo and through Wildlife Warriors.
Looking back, Bindi admits that the weight of public expectation after Steve’s death was overwhelming. As the world grieved, so did she, but with cameras and headlines magnifying every step of the family’s healing journey. “None of us were prepared for losing Dad, and none of us were prepared for the outpouring after he was gone,” she said. “It was unbelievable.”
Today, Bindi stands as both a survivor and a torchbearer. Though grief left scars, it also shaped her into the woman she is—a devoted mother, a conservationist, and a daughter still guided by the memory of her father. “Every single day, I want to make him proud,” she said softly. “That’s what keeps me going.”
