They speak in unison, wear matching outfits and sleep in twin beds in the same room. The identical Powers twins – or ‘The Twinnies’, as they prefer – cannot stand to be apart, which means neither of them have had boyfriends.
But the most magical part of Paula and Bridgette Powers’ bond is their ability to perform miracles on sick and injured seabirds. It’s so impressive, the late Steve Irwin was inspired to take them under his wing the moment they met.
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Speaking in chorus from the Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue refuge on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the 47-year-old sisters say they are pleased to have had the chance to work so closely with their hero.
“We’re glad we had the chance to have known him,” say the twins. “Steve was a top bloke. We had plenty of laughs back in the day.”
A chance encounter with The Crocodile Hunter when they were struggling to save a green sea turtle in their early 20s catapulted the Twinnies on their career path.
And it wasn’t only because Steve thought he was suddenly experiencing double vision when he first met the women standing in the water, wearing their matching clothes.
His father, Bob Irwin, says Steve recognised their innate understanding of birds and wildlife, just like his own.
“Steve had a skill for being able to recognise special things that people might have,” Bob, 82, adds. “And he would have recognised that they were two young ladies who would be of great benefit to the zoo and also to wildlife in general.”
Born with the same heart and blood pressure problems, Paula and Bridgette have always had the eerie ability to feel each other’s pain and were once told they wouldn’t live beyond the age of 30.
When Paula had her appendix removed in her teens, Bridgette had hers out a month later. Similarly, when one twin had a breast cancer scare, the other soon discovered a concerning lump.
Sometimes the twins, who have the bones of 80-year-old women due to osteoporosis, can barely get out of bed in the morning. Yet, they are fuelled by their love for the birds in their care, including pelicans, fluffy cygnets, pigeons and plovers.
WATCH: The sweet way Terri Irwin told Steve she was pregnant (Article continues after video)
“We try to put our own health issues aside because we know we have birds that need our help,” they explain. “We can tell they are grateful, too, through the look in their eyes and the way they waggle their tails. We often shed a tear when we watch the birds fly away after they have been so sick, but it is beautiful.”
The twins spent two years working at Australia Zoo before setting up their registered charity in a poky house 21 years ago. They now rent a small acreage, where they have built a stand-alone hospital that houses up to 240 birds, either rescued by the twins or delivered to their care by locals. It also doubles as a tourist attraction and relies on donations to survive.
Paula and Bridgette are aware they have been mocked for their way of speaking. They were even cruelly labelled “the most annoying twins in the world” by the British public when a video of them went viral, but “it is water off a duck’s back”.
“We know it’s weird the way we speak and we annoy a lot of people, but we have tried to change and it doesn’t feel right at all. Anyway, we have each other and we have our birds, and that is all we need.”
Visit twinnies.com.au to donate to Paula and Bridgette’s cause.
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