24 August 2022

American YouTube stars get an extreme taste of life in the African bush

Submitted by: Agnes Matladi
American YouTube stars get an extreme taste of life in the African bush

“The trip of a lifetime for the people who have already experienced once-in-a-lifetime trips!” - Ryan Gradney, Primitive Predators

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.

“They wanted to have a truly African experience, understand more about the conservation needs in Africa, and learn how to handle black mambas,” explained Dingo, 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 find one of the biggest Nile crocodiles within the South African borders and came across some absolute monsters!” commented Dingo. “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.”

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.

Lucky to make it out alive – and after a quick change of underwear - they proceeded to do something a bit more familiar to the Primitive Predator’s team; handling lots of dangerous snakes. 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 Dingo Dinkelman team relished this unique chance to collaborate with their American counterparts on conservation efforts, and Dingo 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.

Keep updated on Dingo’s adventures by following ‘Dingo Dinkelman’ on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, Patreon, and ‘Dingo Dinkelman Reloaded’ on YouTube. Dingo Dinkelman is proudly sponsored by Toyota. To find out, visit www.dingowild.com.