Collecting eggs, dehorning rhinos, feeding lambs, training parrots, tending to 200 snakes… every day is an epic adventure in the African bush for Dingo Kids – TJ (11), Maddy (9) and Josh (6). Following in the footsteps of their dad, Dingo Dinkelman – a South African wildlife crusader and YouTube sensation – the Dingo Kids have launched their own Dingo Kids YouTube Channel with new episodes released every Tuesday.
“They lead a life in the wild that most kids will never get to experience and they want to share this with others,” explained Dingo. “They’ve grown up in the bush and are actively involved in all the work we do with the animals. They’re passionate about conservation and educating others about animals – they just come alive doing this! Dingo Kids is a great way for them to share what they know about the natural world and inspire our next generation of wildlife crusaders.”
Are you ready for an adventure? Meet the Dingo Kids!
Being home-schooled gives TJ, Maddy and Josh the freedom to get involved in caring for between 300 and 400 animals that live on their farm in the Hillcrest area of KwaZulu-Natal. The sprawling farm is home to an eclectic mix of interesting creatures; feathered, furry and scaled. From the farmyard collection of chickens, cows, pigs, goats and sheep through to the toothier crocodiles, alligators and snakes…every animal finds a home on the Dingo farm.
The sibling trio all have their daily duties to tend to including feeding the farm animals, collecting eggs from the chickens and checking in on any new babies that have made an appearance in the last few days – a definite highlight! TJ, Maddy and Josh also do enclosure checks, ensuring all the animals are safely and comfortably housed.
And when you live in the African bush, there’s always an adventure to be had! The Dingo Kids are a permanent part of Dingo’s team, and have helped on a number of conservation projects. These include assisting in dehorning orphan rhinos at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage to protect them from poachers; relocating wild lions, and the endangered brown hyena and pangolin; as well as releasing a number of indigenous snake species into the wild.
“Animals – all animals – are such an important part of our lives, and we want other kids to know just how incredible they all are. Even the ones people think are scary!” said young TJ. “With each Dingo Kids episode, we’ll introduce new animals to the viewers, show how we care for them and explain why they’re so important to nature. It’s up to us to look after our wildlife so we need more people to become part of the Dingo Kids team. We need all the help we can get!”
Who’s who?
TJ is the oldest of the Dingo Kids and with her outgoing personality, she’s definitely a mini-Dingo! Her love for the natural world is evident, but TJ has a special place in her heart for the feathered critters. She loves the swans and macaws on the farm, and spends a lot of her time working with the macaws and training them.
Gentle Maddy is the next one up and her compassionate nature sees all the farmyard animals flocking for some motherly love. Maddy cares for all the fluffy, furry friends – but that doesn’t mean she shies away from the more dangerous creatures! She’s often found with a snake wrapped around her neck or playing with Girlie, the American alligator.
Fearless Josh is drawn to animals of a more slithering and scaly variety. Crocodiles are his absolute favourite and he inspects and chats to them all every morning. This is followed by a walk through the snake room, where he checks which enclosures need cleaning and how everyone is feeling.
Dingo Kids YouTube Channel
New viewers can check out the Dingo Kids videos and subscribe to the YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLkdOVwT4cYt4Y2YuMnn7Q. Check out videos of Josh feeding alligators, or TJ and Maddy feeding their lambs, Honey and Coconut; or the family welcoming the arrival of teacup pigs Liquorice and Wilbur. New videos will be released every Tuesday on Dingo Kids so don’t miss out!
Dingo and the kids will also be hosting a fantastic Wildlife Club in December where children are invited to join the team on their African bush adventures and interact with the animals. To find out more, follow ‘Dingo Kids’ on Instagram or visit www.dingowild.com
