Tributes paid as YouTuber dubbed 'South Africa's Steve Irwin' dies in Cobra attack

YouTuber Graham ‘Dingo' Dinkelman died at the age of 44 on Saturday (October 26) following complications after he was bitten by a venomous snake.

The wildlife conservationist and father of three who was known as "South Africa's Steve Irwin" had an allergic reaction to the cobra's venom and went into anaphylactic shock.

Dinkelman was then placed into an induced coma in an intensive care unit where his wife Kirsty had been giving his fans updates on his condition and thanking them for their support.

She broke the sad news of her husband's passing at the weekend.

“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," Kirsty wrote.

“Sadly, despite his strength and resilience, my beloved husband passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his family.”

Dinkelman's aim with his wildlife content was to educate and inspire viewers on "some of the most iconic and dangerous animals" and he had built a large online fanbase with 643,000 Instagram followers, 109,000 YouTube subscribers, and over 17,000 followers on TikTok.

Fans of Dinkelman have flooded both his most recent social media posts and YouTube video to pay tribute to him after hearing the news of his untimely death.

One person wrote: "Rest in peace to the most genuinely happy person and the funniest person ever. We will all miss you Dingo, but we will keep your legacy going. Fly high Dingo."

"RIP Legend!!! Your knowledge and enthusiasm really helped me develop a love and respect for snakes. I will miss your videos in my feed." another person said.

Someone else added: "I'm so devastated! I've been watching Dingo for years. His passion for animals and personality was an absolute gift to watch. I can't believe he's gone."

"Heartbroken to hear about your passing. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your love and passion for these animals with the world. My thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family, and you'll be greatly missed by the reptile community," a fourth person commented.

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