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Bindi Irwin Is Now Engaged To Her Longtime Boyfriend, Chandler Powell

by Brianna Wiest

Love is in the air today, as one of our favorite conservationists is celebrating a big milestone. Bindi Irwin is engaged to Chandler Powell, and she shared the super sweet engagement photos to announce the news. Along with a love-filled photoshoot, Irwin had some very sweet words about what the big moment meant to her.

On Tuesday, July 23, Irwin shared with her Twitter followers that she and Powell would be tying the knot. "On my birthday I said ‘yes’ & ‘forever’ to the love of my life," she began. "Chandler, close to 6 years ago I fell in love with you & every day since has been a whirlwind of adventure & true happiness. Here’s to a lifetime of friendship, purpose & unconditional love."

Irwin went onto tell People that it was a really special way to celebrate her 21st birthday, and that she knows Powell is her soulmate. “I am overjoyed to be sharing the news that Chandler and I are engaged! This has been the most special day celebrating my 21st birthday," she told the magazine. “I’ve met my soulmate and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Chandler. We’ve been together for nearly 6 years now and he’s my happily ever after.”

Powell also spoke to People, adding that the engagement was the "most perfect and beautiful day" of their lives.

“After Bindi’s birthday celebration at Australia Zoo, we had a photoshoot organized to celebrate her turning 21,” he shared. “Just before we started the shoot, I took her to a special part of Australia Zoo to ask the girl of my dreams to become my wife. These past five years together have been the best of my life and we look forward to a lifetime of magical moments to come.”

Given that her father was one of the most famous conservationists in the world, and that she and her brother have dually followed in his footsteps, it makes sense that Powell decided to propose at one of their most beloved places: the Australian Zoo, USA Today reported.

"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," Powell wrote on Instagram. "Bee, I love you more than anything in this world and I always will. Happy Birthday."

Of course, there is undoubtedly one part of the big day missing, and that's her father, the famed documentary filmmaker, TV star, and conservationist, Steve Irwin. Last year, Bindi shared that in the aftermath of her father's death in 2006, people kept saying that "time heals all wounds," however, she has found that to be untrue, Country Living reported. "It's like losing a part of your heart, and when you've lost that, you never get it back."

It seems that both she and Powell kept the spirit of the Irwin family alive by making sure such a big moment happened surrounded by animals, just as her father would have loved. Though there is no further information yet about when or where the wedding will be, we can rest assured that Steve will be honored in one way or another.

Congratulations to the happy couple.