Robert Irwin Seen Chatting, Laughing With Wildlife Photographer Ashleigh Scully

Robert Irwin's back Down Under to shoot a new TV show ... but, it seems he brought something back to Australia with him -- a woman some online think is his perfect match.

Photogs captured the wildlife conservationist -- and recent "Dancing with the Stars" champ -- jumping out of his car with Ashleigh Scully ... a wildlife photographer who's been pals with Irwin for years.

The two were seen laughing and chatting comfortably near the set of "DWTS: The Next Pro" ... a show being filmed on the Gold Coast not far from where Robert and his sister, Bindi Irwin, were born.

The new show will follow contestants as they vie for a spot as a professional dancer on the next season of the U.S. version of "Dancing with the Stars."

To be clear, there's no PDA between the pair here ... but, they certainly look comfortable around each other -- which shouldn't come as a surprise since they've known each other for nearly a decade, having first met in 2019.

Like we mentioned, Scully is a wildlife photog ... with her Instagram full of photos she's taken of animals -- including many underwater creatures in the Arctic region.

She recently accompanied Robert, his 'DWTS' costar Dylan Efron, and several others on a deep-sea diving expedition ... posing for a group photo in scuba gear.

Scully is also an accomplished equestrian athlete ... earning All-American honors while she competed at Texas Christian University. She has a master's degree in literature.