People adore wild animals and love them, but here’s an animal lover, who has made it his mission to bring animals into people’s hearts. And it’s really unbelievable what he did to realize his dream.
Dean Schneider, a 26-year-old Swiss, not only left his well-paying job but also sold all his belongings to move to Africa to be with wild animals. This move from the lap of luxury in Switzerland into the African animal kingdom amply proved his dedication to protect wildlife. Of course, he’s so right when he says, “We only protect what we love.”
This was Schneider’s idea to live his dream, the reason why he left his job as a financial planner in Switzerland, traveled to South Africa and set up the Hakuna Mipaka establishment. Incidentally, Hakuna Mipaka in Swahili means ‘no limits’. According to him, “Hakuna Mipaka is a way of living which originated from the five core values – freedom, loyalty, appreciation, brotherhood, and boldness.”
Hakuna Mipaka is spread over the 300-hectare estate and mainly caters to lions born in captivity. In addition, it also has a separate area for other wild animals, such as impalas, kudus, zebras, hyenas, baboons, and many others. He provides these animals an opportunity to live in freedom.
What motivated Schneider to take this bold step was his fascination for animals from his very childhood. He firmly believed that people should respect animals, nature, and behavior. This is what attracted him to animal documentaries and drove him to make various animal protection organizations an important part of his life.
Once Schneider set up Hakuna Mipaka, he got down to understanding the nature of various wild animals that he encountered and tried to build a special bond with each one of them. Today, he educates people by revealing the beauty of these amazing creatures through his Instagram page, where he has over 570,000 fans.
As regards Schneider’s mission, he says, “My mission is to reach as many people as possible and educate them about the wildlife and the beauty of the animal kingdom. I believe in the power of knowledge, passion, and visual stories in order to change people’s perceptions and save wildlife.”
If you share Schneider’s passion for animals, you can also become part of the Hakuna Mipaka family and work hand in hand with him in either recording videos as a videographer or giving a helping hand as a volunteer. For this, you simply need to visit his website.
Dean Schneider
Instagram | Website
Hello where can we buy such as tee shirts
Hello Dean
My African name is Tau(Léon)
I’m currently working in the 🇺🇸 But are proudly South African.
How and where can I get involved in your program?
My fiance worked at Kapama wild life center in Hoedspruit with orphaned Rhinos and we both have a passion for orphaned and abused animals.
As part of my 2 years Army service training I was stationed in Krugernationalpark and help the game rangers to catch poachers from the border post down at komatiepoort way up until Punda Maria.
Regards
Leon