HAVING spent a month in an induced coma following a snake bite, South African wildlife crusader Dingo "Graham" Dinkelman died on Saturday. He was 44.
His love for all animals was legendary, with videos of handling crocodiles, snakes, and a variety of African wildlife propelling him to internet fame. But an allergy to snake venom resulted in anaphylactic shock after he was bitten by a green mamba at his family home in September.
His dad, who died a year ago, inspired Dinkelman's love of nature.
According to a statement issued by his wife, Kirsty, Dinkelman worked for the (then) Natal Parks Board, "which allowed him to grow up exploring nature reserves during holidays and rehabilitating wildlife in his home".
"Our three children Taylor (14), Maddy (12), and Rex Dinkelman (9) were central to Dingo, who never missed an opportunity to express his love and pride for his family.
"While Dingo was renowned for his involvement with snakes and other reptiles, his compassion extended to all creatures. There was a special place in his heart for African mammals, his favourites being elephants, rhinos and lions, as well as our own giraffe, Elliot. But it was truly his love for his family that was always behind his purpose, drive, and passion," said his wife.
"Anyone who met Dingo was immediately entranced by his larger-than-life personality. He was a fearless conservationist with a contagious enthusiasm that made others simply want to be around him. His passion was matched only by his incredible sense of humour, which, all who knew him can attest, made every day with Dingo one to cherish."
Known as ‘“South Africa’s Steve Irwin”, Dinkelman first reached a global audience in 2017 after winning the Cell C and Blink Pictures #BreakTheNet (#BTN) competition with his series of YouTube videos.
The content featured his antics with South African wildlife, aimed at grabbing the audience’s attention and sharing important messages of conservation through YouTube. Dinkelman saw an opportunity to use social media as a platform for widespread positive change.
He achieved this goal, racking up more than 400 000 subscribers on his Dingo Dinkelman YouTube channel – one of the fastest growing channels in the country – averaging 3 million monthly viewers and more than 40 million views a year.
Beyond the online world, Dinkelman gave people a chance to get back into nature, starting with Dingo’s Wildlife Club in Hillcrest where kids got their feet dirty, while learning more about wildlife with some hands-on experience.
He and his team also put on animal exhibitions and interactions around KZN – including many school shows – as well as establishing ‘Voluntourism: Dingo’s Africa Experience’ which welcomed visitors from across the world to participate in conservation efforts. Dinkelman also presented at a number of international conservation events, connecting with other YouTube celebrities such as ‘Danger’ Danny Perich and Savannah Boan from Gatorland, and Kevin McCurley, founder and owner of New England Reptile Distributors (NERD).
Last year, he was invited as a guest of Australia’s Victorian Herpetological Society (VHS), as well as hosting Australian environmentalists for an African adventure. Featured in his videos are his immense contributions to conservation, such as dehorning rhino, collaring elephants, relocating lions and working with some of the planet’s most threatened species, including the pangolin and brown hyena.
He also ran specialist breeding programmes for endangered reptiles and amphibians, and hosted wildlife training programmes. "Sharing his passion for all creatures, we will continue his legacy, promoting conservation and continuing to share his sense of awe and wonder with the world.
"His presence has brought so much warmth, love, passion and laughter to our lives, as well as all of those who knew him, loved him and supported him. We love you Dingo and we will always celebrate your incredible impact on each of our lives."