Bindi Irwin is reportedly keen to mend her relationship with her grandfather Bob Irwin Snr after a bitter family feud.
Bindi, 26, shocked fans in 2021 when she slammed her estranged grandfather, 85, in a sensational Facebook post.
But it seems Bindi has softened, with a source telling Woman’s Day she is keen to mend the rift.
‘Bindi is having a complete change of heart about her grandad Bob Snr,’ a source claimed.
‘She’s realised the bitter family feud that has seen them estranged for years has finally taken its toll on her and husband Chandler, and their daughter Grace Warrior.’
The source added that Bindi wants Grace Warrior, three, to have a relationship with her great-grandfather.
‘She’s told her mum (Terri) she wants her daughter to know her dad’s dad – that she wants to mend the rift before her grandad dies,’ the source said.
Bindi, Chandler and Grace Warrior were apparently absent from the recent Steve Irwin Gala Dinner in Brisbane.
Daily Mail Australia has reached to Bindi’s reps for comment.
Bindi sensationally spoke out about her strained relationship with her estranged grandfather in a scathing 2021 Facebook comment.
She shared a sweet post celebrating Father’s Day in the US, saying she was thankful for the ‘three most incredible fathers in her life’; her late father Steve Irwin, her husband Chandler Powell and her father-in-law Chris.
When one fan asked why she hadn’t included her grandfather – Steve’s father, Bob – Bindi gave an uncharacteristically raw account of their relationship, claiming he had ignored her since she was a ‘little girl’.
‘I really wish that my entire family could spend time with Grace. Unfortunately, my grandfather Bob has shown no interest in spending time with me or my family,’ Bindi wrote.
She went on to claim that Bob had ‘returned gifts I’ve sent after he opened them’ and ignored any letters sent from her.
‘From the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me,’ she continued.
‘He has never said a single kind word to me personally. It breaks my heart.’
She went on to say that her mother Terri still writes to him and sends birthday cards and Christmas gifts, but claims they have received no reply.
‘We have also been his financial support since 1992 when he returned from Australia Zoo, sending him funds every week,’ she added.
‘We built him a house on a beautiful property and will always do our best to ensure his wellbeing.
‘I hope everyone remembers to be kind to one another but most of all care for your own mental health.’
The Irwin family feud began 13 years ago when Bob Snr quit Australia Zoo because he was concerned the wildlife park he’d founded in 1970 was becoming a ‘circus’.
Various reports from the time of Bob’s exit claim he was worried the Sunshine Coast tourist attraction was becoming ‘too commercial – and even feared a then nine-year-old Bindi was being pushed into child stardom.
When Bob left the zoo for good in 2008 – two years after the death of his famous son, Steve ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ Irwin – his daughter-in-law Terri was said to be planning a five-year expansion ‘to make it Australia’s peak tourist destination with a Disneyland feel’.
This plan apparently didn’t sit well with Bob, who felt Australia Zoo should focus on conservation instead of following a commercial path and becoming a ‘circus‘.
By his own admission, Bob felt he’d become an unwelcome presence at Australia Zoo as the business grew into a major attraction aimed at American tourists.
‘It’s a strange feeling to spend half your lifetime building something up and walking away from it,’ he told ABC’s Australian Story in April 2008.
‘I was becoming a disrupting influence, not that I meant to be.’
When he resigned from the family business in 2008, he made no reference in his farewell statement to his daughter-in-law.
He also said he wanted to ‘continue Steve’s dream’ of wildlife conservation at his own reserve in Kingaroy – with the implication being Terri’s new vision for Australia Zoo wasn’t what his son would have wanted.
