‘South Africa’s Steve Irwin’ dies from snake bite
A social media snake-handler and conservationist known as South Africa’s Steve Irwin has died a month after being bitten by a highly venomous snake.
Graham “Dingo” Dinkelman won hundreds of thousands of fans with his daredevil videos showing him interacting with some of the world’s deadliest animals.
The 44-year-old died at the weekend having spent a month in an induced coma after being bitten at home by a green mamba and going into anaphylactic shock.
His videos were watched around three million times each month and he said his goal was to educate and inspire audiences about conservation.
The clips often highlighted the dangers of the animals he was handling and the risks of getting bitten by highly venomous snakes.
Recent videos on his YouTube channel saw him handling a forest cobra, a bushmaster, a cobra and an inland taipan.
He has also been seen caring for crocodiles, de-horning rhinos to protect them from poachers, reintroducing pangolins to the wild and relocating endangered brown hyenas.
Kirstie, his wife, said in a statement: “Dingo fought incredibly hard throughout this very difficult period.
“We know that he was fighting to be here with us and we are so grateful for this. Sadly, despite his strength and resilience, my beloved husband passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his family.”
Mr Dinkelman, from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal province, also ran specialist breeding programmes for endangered reptiles and amphibians, and a wildlife education centre for children.
He initially worked as an investment broker in South Africa before quitting his job to devote his time and energy to animals.
In a 2023 interview, he said: “My passion, my calling, the reason I have been put on the face of this earth, is to get animals into people’s lives.
“I’ve always believed that we need to convert the unconverted, to reach people who’ve had absolutely no experience with nature and wildlife, who are scared of snakes and afraid of getting dirty, and to get them passionate about conservation.
“We can achieve this goal by sharing the right content on these social media platforms.”
Mr Dinkelman, a father-of-three, was bitten by a green mamba, Dendroaspis angusticeps, which is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Africa.
The African Snakebite Institute said bites to humans by the green mamba are rare because the bright green animal is shy and quick to disappear into thick bush when disturbed.
It added, however, that when bites do occur they are “very serious” and the venom attacks the nervous system as well as causing swelling.
Mr Dinkelman’s popularity and enthusiastic presenting style saw him compared to the Australian television naturalist Steve Irwin.
Mr Irwin also became famous for his daring stunts with dangerous animals, before he was killed at the age of 44 while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.