Robert Irwin surprised and delighted fans with a recent rehearsal reaction (Image: ABC)

Dancing With the Stars fans may have scratched their heads after seeing Robert Irwin sporting a bizarre object in between rehearsals, but they also couldn’t help but smile after seeing an adorable interaction play out during a practice.

The Australian zoologist is a fan-favorite contender on the ABC competition series, with many often praising him for his personality and overall approach to the show.

And while some also critique him, including slamming the show’s producers for what they see as a bias in his favor when it came to dance styles during the upcoming Wicked week, most are finding themselves enamored by him.

This included fans who watched as he received a surprise gift from content curator and rug artist Simji during one of his recent rehearsals.

In a clip shared to Instagram, the 21-year-old had an adorable reaction when Simji dropped by to present him with an actual alligator rug.

Irwin was surprised when he was presented with a crocodile rug (Image: Instagram)

In the clip, she arrives at the studio to present the item to Irwin, reminding fans she had asked him earlier in the season if she could make him something. After she arrives, Irwin expresses excitement over her arrival, as he admits he thought it was never going to happen.

“I’ve bene talking about this crocodile rug because everything sory of went quiet on it, and i thought ‘oh..okay,’ and then everybody said, ‘oh, hang on a minute! No, no, no, no, this is happening!’”

She then asks him to close his eyes before counting down so he can see the rug spread out on the floor–and Irwin not only showed obvious delight, but praised Simji for her design.

“OH MY GOODNESS! Amazing!” he says in the clip after seeing it. “Oh my gosh!”

Irwin’s reaction delighted fans who found it to be a wholesome moment (Image: Instagram)

He then gets down on the floor as he praises the design, commending Simji for making it very similar to a real-life crocodile.

“This is an actual crocodile!” he says. “You’ve got the taper in the jaw, the nasal disc is perfect, and I love the yellow, because people forget that crocodiles are actually yellow. You have done your research!”

The clip ends after he then tells her he can also introduce her to real-life crocodiles.

The moment was well-received not just by Irwin, who commented on the post to share he “loved” the rug, but fans as well, who all shared that they found the moment to be incredibly endearing.

Iwin proudly displayed the rug alongside creator Simji (Image: Instagram)

“He lowkey seems like the friendliest human on earth, this is so awesome,” one person commented on the post.

“Robert Irwin just seems like such a wholesome human. I love how excited he was about this rug,” another said.

“Robert’s a Gem. I grew up watching his dad and I’m so happy to see how incredible Robert is with people as well as Animals. Brings me joy to see the legacy continue in him and Bindi,” a third added.