Graham “Dingo” Dinkelman, a wildlife conservationist and YouTuber famous for working closely with dangerous reptiles, has passed away at 44 after being bitten by a venomous snake.
Known as “South Africa’s Steve Irwin” because of his similarities to the famous Australian conservationist, Dinkelman died on Saturday, Oct. 26—one month after the bite.
His wife, Kirsty, shared the sad news on the Africa Reptiles and Venom Facebook page. “I want to start by thanking you all for your incredible support and the love we have felt over the past few weeks. Today marks one month since the incident, and we have been comforted by your messages and prayers from around the world,” the statement began.
“Dingo fought so hard during this difficult time. We know he was trying to stay with us, and we are so thankful for that,” the message continued. “But sadly, despite his strength and determination, my dear husband passed away peacefully today, with his family by his side. He brought so much warmth, love, passion, and laughter to our lives and to everyone who knew and loved him.”
In an Instagram post from Sept. 30, Kirsty shared that Dinkelman had been bitten by a venomous snake. Because he was allergic to snake venom, he immediately went into anaphylactic shock. He was taken to the hospital and put into a medically induced coma.
In an update on Oct. 9, Kirsty shared on Instagram that Dingo was still in the ICU. She thanked everyone for their continued support and prayers.
Dingo’s Instagram page, which had 645,000 followers, was full of photos and videos of him getting up close with giant crocodiles and dangerous snakes. In one video, he was even seen feeding a live python to a crocodile.
The Telegraph reported that Dingo was bitten by a green mamba, a snake he had previously shown on social media. Dinkelman was from Pietermaritzburg in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province and had three children. His son, Rex, often appeared in his videos.
In a sad coincidence, Steve Irwin also died at age 44 after an encounter with a dangerous animal. The famous Crocodile Hunter passed away in 2006 when a stingray barb pierced his chest while he was diving in Australia.
Since then, Irwin’s widow, Terri, and his children, Bindi and Robert, have continued his conservation work.
