‘His love for all animals was legendary’: Family pay homage to wildlife crusader, Dingo Dinkelman
Well-known South African conservationist Dingo Dinkelman's family have paid homage to the 44-year-old wildlife crusader, who died a month after he was bitten by a snake.
Dingo 'Graham' Dinkelman was bitten by a green mamba last month.
His wife, Kirsty Dinkelman, said tragically, an allergy to snake venom resulted in anaphylactic shock and he was rushed to hospital. He was placed in ICU, in an induced coma and passed away on Saturday, October 26.
"His love for all animals was legendary, with videos of handling crocodiles, snakes, and a variety of African wildlife propelling him to internet fame," Kirsty said.
She said family was close to Dinkelman's heart and his love for nature was inspired by his father, who passed one year ago.
Known as ‘South Africa’s Steve Irwin’, he 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 Dingo’s antics with South African wildlife, aimed at grabbing the audience’s attention and sharing important messages of conservation through YouTube. Dingo saw an opportunity to use social media as a platform for widespread positive change.
Kirsty said one of Dingo’s greatest joys was being able to have his family work so closely with him and be so heavily involved in his work.
"Our three children, Taylor, Maddy and Rex, were central to Dingo, and he never missed an opportunity to express his love and pride for his family. Working together, we recently started a new YouTube channel, ‘The Dinkelmans’ which focuses on wholesome family content, animal adventures, and conservation," she said.
Kirsty said sharing his passion for all creatures, the family 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,” Kirsty said.
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