Photo: Bindi Irwin/instagram
Bindi Irwinand her family are mourning the loss of a small animal friend.
The zookeeper, 24, paid tribute to the Australia Zoo’s echidna – a relative of the platypus that is also called a spiny anteater – which she and her family looked after for almost 40 years, penning a heartfelt tributeon Instagramin honor of the beloved creature.
The special relationship Bindi and her family shared with the echidna spanned generations, as seen in one photo Bindi uploaded of herself introducing the animal to her 16-month-old daughter,Grace Warrior.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Robert also added the post to his Instagram Story, simply adding a broken heart emoji to share the news with his followers.
The Irwin family’s loss comes shortly after theCrikey! It’s the Irwinsstarmarked her 24th birthday.
RELATED VIDEO: Bindi Irwin Debuts Short Haircut in 24th Birthday Snaps with Family, as Brother Shares Throwback
“The last year has been filled with enormous growth, unpredictable/challenging times and above all, love beyond my wildest dreams,” Bindiwrotein the caption accompanying the post. “Without them realizing, my sweet family has given me the greatest gifts this year through their extraordinary actions each and every day.”
“My darling daughter, the gift of finding beauty in all things and running towards happiness (and bubbles, which are the same thing to her) with an open heart. I’m grateful for another trip around the sun and another year to do my best making difference in this world.”
source: people.com
