Durban - While American YouTube stars Ryan Gradney and Kyle Asplundh might be used to dealing with fierce crocodiles and venomous snakes for their work at Primitive Predators, nothing could’ve prepared the adventurous pair for an experience with South African wildlife crusader Dingo Dinkelman in the African bush.
Ryan and Kyle were given a real African welcome when they got trapped among a herd of wild elephants, trumpeting and mock charging while the tourists, wide-eyed and aghast, were forced to reconsider everything they’d ever thought they’d known about dangerous wildlife encounters.
“They wanted to have a truly African experience, understand more about the conservation needs in Africa, and learn how to handle black mambas,” said Dinkleman, himself a YouTube sensation whose videos have racked up millions of views worldwide.
“So, we spent a few weeks getting up close and personal with some of South Africa’s finest and gave them an experience they would never forget.”
Some visitors to the African continent might be content with a sedate drive in a game vehicle, sipping on cocktails and viewing exotic animals from afar – but that’s not the Dingo Dinkelman experience. His American guests were treated to unreal animal interactions that got their hearts racing and gave them a very real insight into the efforts on the frontline of conservation.
“We went on an expedition to try to find one of the biggest Nile crocodiles within the South African borders and came across some absolute monsters!” said Dinkleman. “They got the chance to visit a rhino orphanage, dehorn rhino, walk pangolin – which had been previously poached – as part of a soft release programme, and got to witness a bearded vulture breeding programme.
The pair had arrived in South Africa with the desire to learn how to handle the black mamba, widely considered to be the world’s deadliest snake. And who better to teach them than the mamba man himself, Dingo Dinkelman? A man who has actually experienced the ‘kiss of death’ – a bite from a black mamba and lived to tell the tale.
The team relished this unique chance to collaborate with their American counterparts on conservation efforts, and Dinkleman will be building on this with a visit to the US in three weeks where he’ll be giving a talk at the opening of the Animal Con.
This is an animal-dedicated conference where conservationists and influencers get the chance to engage and share knowledge and ideas.
The Independent on Saturday