Inside Bindi Irwin's Incredibly Normal Life

Bindi Irwin may have been raised in a zoo as the daughter of the late Steve Irwin (aka "The Crocodile Hunter"), but she lives a wildly normal life, all things considered. At the time of this writing, Bindi is already an established wildlife conservationist who continues to live and work at the Australia Zoo (her childhood home) alongside her mother Terri and younger brother Robert. She isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and care for any and all creatures, even the most notorious ones, all while documenting her khaki-wearing, outdoor-loving life on Instagram for her more than three million followers to see. 

Bindi is also a proud dog owner and wife. She married Chandler Powell, her longtime beau and eventual coworker, in a small, intimate ceremony at the family zoo in March 2020. She's young, spunky, down-to-earth and always carries the memory of her dad close to her heart. While it may not necessarily be "normal" to hang out with an albino python on national TV, when she's not on-camera, Bindi Irwin is living an incredibly normal life in Australia.

Bindi Irwin may have already been an actress, animal conservationist, and Dancing with the Stars Season 21 winner all before her 17th birthday, but she was still your average teenage girl — and sometimes seemed more excited over major (and very normal) milestones, like getting her driver's license. Upon earning it, she excitedly shared the news and a photo on Instagram. In the caption, she thanked the Queensland Police for helping her pass the test and revealed what she was driving.

"It was wonderful to take my test in St. George and pass the first time and in my Dad's giant old ute!" she wrote. Ute is short for utility vehicle in Australia, as Today explained. The truck was so special to her father that it was even a part of his memorial service, which was held in the Crocoseum at the Australia Zoo in 2006. Keeping his spirit alive, she drove the truck before passing it on to her younger brother Robert, who's learning how to drive it as of March 2020.

Like many girls who grew up watching Disney fairytales, Bindi Irwin dreamed of meeting her Prince Charming someday. After all, her parents, Steve and Terri, were the epitome of true love. Irwin wanted that for herself. "I've wanted to get married since I was a little girl," she said in a wedding day special of her family show, Crikey! It's the Irwins, on Animal Planet.

Irwin has always loved weddings, according to her mom Terri, who said as much in the wedding episode. Anytime they'd go on a family trip, Irwin would always pick out a bridal magazine at the gift shop to pass the time, she recalled. Irwin said it's probably because she always thought weddings were so "magical" and it was the one "girly" thing she loved growing up, maybe because it was everything her "rough and tumble" life at the zoo was not. She also loved the romantic element. "Finding a person that you love more than anything and having a fairytale day," Irwin said.

Wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin is too busy saving the planet's animals to spend hours on her makeup and hair routine every day. Which is what makes her more like us than any other celebrity out there. Irwin prefers a simple, natural look, according to a video interview with 9Honey. Her go-to beauty items are eyeliner and lip balm. "Because I travel so much and I'm doing things constantly, I always have a chapstick in my pocket," she said. 

Not only is she practical, but she's also pretty relatable. During the interview, she admitted to never coloring her hair (yes, that's her natural hue and yes, we're jealous) and only cutting it once a year. We can totally relate! Life gets busy and sometimes haircare falls to the wayside. All Irwin does to her hair, for the most part, is wash and brush it. "That's all I do! It's really boring," she laughed. While she definitely has genetics to thank for her glowing hair (not all of us are so lucky), we can't help but wonder if maybe being outside and around animals every day is the best beauty routine out there. Irwin surely makes it seem so!

Bindi Irwin dotes on her puppy Piggy just as much as any other dog mom would. Following her engagement to longtime love Chandler Powell in early 2019, the couple took the obvious next big step — adopting a dog. The lovebirds announced the happy news on Powell's Instagram feed, where he posted a sweet photo of the newlyweds and what appears to be the cutest Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

"Welcoming our newest and cutest family member. Introducing Piggy our gorgeous puppy," Powell captioned the post. "Can't wait to begin the new decade giving this sweetheart the happiest and most loving home. 2020 here we come!" Piggy is a regular on her mom's Instagram feed, and we can see why. From giving sweet kisses to cuddling in bed and roaming the Australia Zoo, this pup is absolutely adorbs, and is living a pretty sweet dog life. 

A self-described "wildlife warrior," Bindi Irwin claims to love any and all animals. But during an interview with Larry King Now, Irwin admitted to having a pretty normal phobia of bees and wasps. "They kind of intimidate me," she said. Although Irwin deals with larger wildlife like kangaroos and crocodiles, it's those tiny stinging insects that, she said, seem to have it out for her. "I always seem to be stung by them," she told Larry King. Though, she doesn't mind bees in cake form. During her 21st birthday celebration, which was traditionally held at the Australia Zoo along with hundreds of visitors, she blew out the candles to a bumblebee-shaped cake. 

Even bigger than her fear of bugs, though, is elevator doors. "It's this teeny tiny phobia that when I step into an elevator, I'm scared of the doors," Irwin said. To which King offered advice: "Step back." Irwin admitted she prefers avoiding elevators altogether and takes the stairs when she's able.

It's widely known that many celebrities have exotic animals as household pets. Pro boxer Mike Tyson has had pet tigers and Justin and Hailey Bieber own Savannah cats. Unlike her fellow celebrities though, Bindi Irwin doesn't hang out with exotic animals because they're her pets, but because it's her job to care for and rehabilitate all the many crocodiles, koalas, and other animals the Australian Zoo takes in.

Hanging out with some of the wildlife is just a perk of the job, something she's loved doing since she was a little girl growing up in a zoo. "I just loved absolutely everything," Irwin said about animals during an episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins. "I loved every single animal and wanted to hug it and kiss it no matter what." For Irwin, these animals aren't adornments, but an essential part of the circle of life, one that she wants to help preserve. 

Bindi Irwin doesn't need much in life to be happy. All she needs is her family and animals — a far cry from other celebrities who crave more material things, like sports cars and private jets. The fact that she gets to work with animals every day and live with her family (her mom Terri, brother Robert, and her hubby Chandler Powell) is a dream come true in of itself. 

During an interview on Crikey! It's The Irwins, Irwin said she can't imagine doing anything else in life than working with wildlife whenever people ask her if she'll ever get bored of it. "I think my jaw drops to the floor every time someone asks me that. This is living the dream. This is who I am," she said. Irwin plans to continue on her family's legacy of caring for wildlife patients at Australia Zoo's Wildlife Hospital and educating the world about every animal.

"Our conservation work isn't just what we do, it's a part of who we are. It's an incredible privilege to do so much for wildlife and wild places around the world," she told One Country, proving she's just a normal young woman wanting to make a small difference in the world.