KZN wildlife conservationist suffers snake bite from venomous snake
A famous wildlife conservationist from KZN, Dingo Dinkelman, is in a coma after a venomous snake bit him and went into anaphylactic shock due to his allergies.
Dingo Dinkelman is a well-known wildlife conservationist from KZN who also hosts one of the fastest-growing YouTube channels in South Africa, reaching more than three million viewers a month.
He recently caught the attention of social media users when he was seen travelling on the roads of KwaZulu Natal transporting seven-year-old Elliott the Giraffe to what he called 'Dingo's Animal Kingdom'.
The excitement and energy he exuded in his video were a testament to his passion for wildlife. Described as the Steve Irwin of South Africa, Dinkelman is an avid wildlife ambassador.
Sadly, Dinkelman was bitten by a snake and has since been in hospital.
On September 30th, Dingo's wife, Kirsty Dinkelman, shared a post on Dingo's Facebook page.
"Hi everyone. It's Kirst here (Dingo's wife), I just wanted to give you guys an update on our current situation. This last week, Dingo had a venomous snake bite, which, unfortunately, due to his allergy to snake venom, sent him straight into anaphylactic shock. Fortunately, we were able to rush him straight to the hospital. He is currently in ICU, on a ventilator and in an induced coma. The doctors are keeping him heavily sedated to give his body as much of a fighting chance to recover fully. We have a very long road ahead of us. But Dingo is a being cared by an incredible team of amazing doctors and nurses whom we are so grateful for."
Kirsty Dinkelman described her husband as the toughest, most brave and strong man she knows. She said that their three kids - TJ, Maddy, and Rex - are so grateful that their dad is fighting so hard to get back to them and that they are praying for a miracle.
With a heavy heart, his family must watch someone with such an uplifting spirit be in this situation. We hope that he recovers well.
Kirsty and her family have been overwhelmed by the abundant love and support they have received from people who wish Dingo a speedy recovery.
She provided an update on his condition yesterday, saying that Dingo is still in ICU and they are staying strong in pursuing his recovery.
Check out her post below from Facebook.
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Image Courtesy of Facebook