Robert Irwin Suffers Bloody Nose During Remote Crocodile Research

Robert Irwin sustained a facial injury while conducting crocodile research in northern Australia, sharing the aftermath with his social media followers on Sunday, August 2.

The 22-year-old Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro host posted a graphic selfie to his Instagram Story showing blood streaming from his nose and staining his khaki shirt. "Tree: 1, Robert: 0," he captioned the image, according to Us Weekly.

The Dancing With the Stars season 34 champion is currently stationed at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Australia's Far North Queensland, where he is spending one month camping in the remote Cape York Peninsula for his annual crocodile research expedition. The reserve was established in 2007 as a tribute to his late father, Steve Irwin, who died at age 44 in 2006 after dedicating his life to animal conservation.

Documentation shared through his Instagram Stories reveals the scope of the research work. Robert has constructed a crocodile trap, analyzed large crocodile footprints, and observed multiple crocodiles in their natural habitat.

"We're back on our annual crocodile research trip in remote northern Australia. First things first, it's time to find signs of where crocs have been," Robert wrote in a Saturday, August 1, Instagram video showing him examining a muddy crocodile footprint, according to Us Weekly. "It doesn't get better than a footprint like this, what a whopper."

His mother, Terri Irwin, provided additional context about the scientific significance of the expedition in the video's comments section. The 62-year-old explained that the research represents the longest running telemetry study of its kind.

"We are learning so much with our crocodile research. It's the longest running telemetry study, helping us find out where they travel, nest, and go to escape extreme flooding events. We have discovered they can hold their breath more than eight hours, how their body temperature affects their movements, and that they can travel more than 60km per day," Terri Irwin told Us Weekly. "It's really exciting to be able to provide so much new data on these gorgeous animals!"

The research expedition comes as Robert continues to balance his conservation work in Australia with his entertainment career in the United States. Days before departing for the remote research site, he shared behind-the-scenes footage from the set of his Dancing With the Stars spin-off reality series.

In January, Robert discussed his dual life with The West Australian. "Being in L.A. for the last three months has been wonderful, but I am not a city kid," he stated, according to Us Weekly. "I live out in the bush and have grown up there, so it's good to be back where there's a bit of greenery."

Last month, on July 22, Robert shared video footage from the Irwin family's Australia Zoo featuring himself holding a baby freshwater crocodile. "You can hear the vocalizations that he's making, he's only a young fella so at this size, he's making those cute little frog noises," he explained to viewers, according to Us Weekly.

Despite the bloody nose incident, Robert appears to be continuing his month-long research mission in the Cape York Peninsula, following in his father's footsteps of hands-on wildlife conservation and education.