A wildlife conservationist and YouTuber known as "South Africa's Steve Irwin" died over the weekend, a month after being bitten by a venomous snake. USA Today reports that Graham "Dingo" Dinkelman, 44, had been in an induced coma in intensive care from anaphylactic shock since he was attacked in September, with the Telegraph pointing the finger at a toxic green mamba snake as the culprit. In a post shared to the African Reptiles and Venom's Facebook page, wife Kirsty Dinkelman noted that her spouse died on Saturday, "despite his strength and resilience" and the fact that he fought "incredibly hard throughout this very difficult period."
In a three-part message posted on Instagram on Thursday, Kirsty Dinkelman remembered her late husband—a former investment broker who became the owner of a reptile park in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Discovery Channel presenter, manager of breeding programs for endangered reptiles and amphibians, and YouTube creator, with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. "His compassion extended to all creatures," his wife wrote. "But it was truly his love for his family that was always behind his purpose, drive, and passion."
"The reason I have been put on the face of this Earth, is to help people to connect with animals," Dinkelman's wife recalls him once saying. "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." Dinkelman is survived by his wife and three children, who are between the ages of 9 and 14. Australia's Irwin also died at the age of 44, in 2006, after being pierced in the heart by a stingray. (More snake bite stories.)
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