Conservation content creator Graham Dingo Dinkelman died on Saturday after being bitten by a venomous snake in September.
Dinkelman, known as South Africa’s Steve Irwin, spent a month in an induced coma due to anaphylactic shock caused by a venomous snake bite.
In YouTube videos, Dinkelman was often seen handling vein snakes, teasing alligators, and feeding the family’s giraffes.
In a statement shared to Mr Dinkelman’s Instagram on Thursday, his wife Kirsty also shared the news.
“Dingo was famous for his interactions with snakes and other reptiles, but his compassion extended to all living things,” Kirsty said in a statement. “He had a special place in his heart for African mammals. His favorites were elephants, rhinos, lions and our giraffe, Elliott. Behind it was always a true love for family.” “
According to the Telegraph, Dinkelman was bitten by an eastern green mamba, which is known for its venomous bite.
Dinkelman leaves behind his wife and three children, Taylor, 14, Maddie, 12, and Rex, 9.
“One of Dingo’s greatest joys was having his family work closely with him. Our three children were central to Dingo, who never missed an opportunity to express his love and pride for his family. ” Kirsty said in her interview. statement.
In August, the Dinkelmans launched their own YouTube channel called “The Dinkelmans.” With 3,9400 subscribers, the channel gave an inside look into the family.
Who is “Dingo” Dinkelman?
According to his website, Mr Dinkelman was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and was the owner of Dingo’s Farm and Reptile Park in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. He was an award-winning Discovery Channel presenter and YouTube creator.
As of Thursday, his YouTube channel Dingo Dinkelman had more than 111,000 subscribers and more than 646,000 followers on Instagram.
Dinkelman is often compared to Steve Irwin, the Australian zookeeper and conservationist who was killed by a stingray on the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Follow her on X and on Instagram @gretalcross. Idea for a story? Email gcross@gannett.com.
