The wife of Graham “Dingo” Dinkelman, the wildlife conservationist and YouTuber who died after being bitten by a venomous snake, is remembering her husband for the “incredible impact” he had on others, including his family.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, Kirsty Dinkelman confirmed that her husband had died, one month after he was first rushed to the hospital.
“I want to start off by thanking you all for your incredible support and the love that we have felt over the past few week,” she wrote in a post shared to Africa Reptiles and Venom’s Facebook page. “Today is one month since the incident and we have experienced such comfort and love from your messages and prayers from all over the world.”
“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,” she continued. “Sadly, despite his strength and resilience, my beloved husband passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his family.”
Dingo Dinkelman.
Dingo Dinkelman/Instagram
“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,” she continued as the tribute came to an end. “We love you Dingo and we will always celebrate your incredible impact on each of our lives ♥️.”
Dingo, who had over 110,000 subscribers on YouTube and ran a wildlife sanctuary called Dingo’s Farm and Reptile Park, was known for getting up close and personal with dangerous reptile. He was often referred to as “South Africa’s Steve Irwin” due to his similarities to the late Australian conservationist.
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In an Instagram post from last month, Kirsty shared that after being bitten, her husband went “straight into anaphylactic shock” and was rushed to a hospital. When she shared the post on Sept. 30, she said that he was in a medically induced coma in the ICU.
“The doctors are keeping him heavily sedated to give his body as much of a fighting chance to fully recover,” she wrote. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”
Dingo Dinkelman.
Dingo Dinkelman/Instagram
A short time later, in a follow-up Instagram post on Oct. 9, Kirsty wrote that Dingo was still in the ICU.
“He continues to fight with all his strength, and so we continue to have hope in his recovery,” the mom of three wrote. “Thank you so much for all the support we have received, and for everyone who has reached out. We continue to be overwhelmed with messages of love and concern.”
In a lengthy tribute shared on her husband’s Instagram page this week, Kirsty shared that while her husband was “renowned” for is love of snakes and other reptiles, “his compassion extended to all creatures.” But, “it was truly his love for his family that was always behind his purpose, drive, and passion.”
“One of Dingo’s greatest joys was being able to have his family work so closely with him. 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,” she added.
“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,” she added. “We love you Dingo and we will always celebrate your incredible impact on each of our lives.”
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