Bindi Irwin’s birthday gift from
Chandler Powell on her 21st birthday was a biggie: an engagement ring.
The wildlife conservationist shared on Instagram that she said “yes” and “forever” to her longtime boyfriend’s proposal on Wednesday after nearly six years of dating.
“Here’s to a lifetime of friendship, purpose and unconditional love,” she wrote before adding, “Now let’s get married already!”
Powell, 22, shared a photo after the proposal as well. His post talked about how they met at the Australia Zoo, which is owned by the Irwin family, and said that is where he popped the question.
“Proposing in her very favorite place in the zoo, surrounded by animals, seemed like the perfect way to embark on this incredible new chapter in our lives,” he wrote. “Bee, I love you more than anything in this world and I always will. Happy Birthday.”
The young couple was congratulated in the comments by friends (like Stranger Things
actress Millie Bobby Brown) and fans, but her family put up their own congratulations posts. In her younger brother Robert’s, he called them “soulmates” and “completely perfect” for each other.
Irwin’s mother, Terry, posted a photo of her soon-to-be family of four. She called it the “best day ever” and — tearjerker alert — said her late husband Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin would be “very happy,” just like she is. (He died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a nature documentary.)
There was a big celebration at the zoo for Irwin’s milestone birthday. The Irwins did a meet-and-greet with visitors, walked a pink carpet, fed the crocs and had cake.
Irwin, who appears with her family on Animal Planet’s Crikey! It's the Irwins, went public with her romance with Powell in 2015, revealing that they had met at the zoo in 2013 and kept in touch. Things were long-distance at first — she resided at the zoo on Australia’s Sunshine Coast and the wakeboarder was in Florida.
In early 2018, Powell relocated to the 100-acre zoo. By the end of last year, she made it clear her boyfriend was the one, despite finding love at an early age.
“I’m lucky I have found the one, the person I want to spend all my time with,” she said in October. “Mum and Robert and I have talked about that a lot. We all think dad would have loved Chandler.”