Bindi Irwin Reveals The Animal She's Actually Afraid Of

When you think of 22-year-old Bindi Irwin, you think of a fearless animal lover. Frequently photographed hugging snakes, getting up close with crocodiles, and playing with spiders, it seems as though no animal could ever scare her. But the Australian beauty doesn't consider all animals her friends, admitting in recent years that she's just like the rest of us and has an irrational fear of one animal in particular.

Speaking to Access in 2018, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin revealed: "I have a teeny tiny fear of bees — just a little bit. If anyone were to get stung by a bee, it would probably be me. I probably get stung weekly." Ouch! She continued, "They seek me out ... Give me a crocodile any day." While a bee sting does hurt, we can't help but think that bees are slightly more innocent than crocodiles. So, what's caused this fear?

Bindi Irwin's fear of bees began when she was young

Irwin's fear of bees developed when she was a toddler. In an interview with People, the passionate wildlife conservationist explained, "When I was about two years old, I found a bee that had been stepped on on the foot path, and so I picked it up to rescue it, and it stung me on the hand." She added, "From that day forward, I've been terrified of bees." 

According to Verywell Mind, this kind of phobia of bees is more common than you think. Known as apiphobia, a fear of bees is more likely to come about if you've been stung numerous times, especially as a child, just like Irwin said she was. While there is little treatment available to "cure" the fear, we have no doubt the Bindi Irwin knows how to be brave whenever she hears a bee buzzing.