Larger than Life

Wildlife conservationist Dean Schneider has dedicated his life to protecting wild animals, and part of this is Hakuna Mipaka, his 400-hectare private sanctuary that is home to thousands of different species. On a recent visit to India as part of his collaboration with NORQAIN, Schneider spoke to WatchTime India about the Hakuna Mipaka watch collection and the values he shares with the brand.

- Somya Rauthan

Wildlife activist Dean Schneider is among that rare tribe of people who can be at absolute ease around fully grown lions. This is quite evident in the videos he posts on his Instagram handle (@dean.schneider), which has a following of over 11 million. His feed is chock-full of him playing with lions, nonchalantly cuddling them, and even standing and filming next to them as they feast on their kills. Getting kisses and hugs from these big cats is an everyday occurrence for Schneider, which is perhaps not hard to understand when you realise that it's a pride of six lions that he himself rescued, rehabilitated, and developed a relationship with. In fact, he shares the same bond with all the animals that reside at his private wildlife sanctuary and animal rehabilitation centre, Hakuna Mipaka, in South Africa.

The reserve, spread over 400 hectares in the South African wilderness, is home to giraffes, leopards, antelopes, wildebeests, baboons, hyenas, snakes, birds, reptiles, and more. It's no wonder then that Schneider's work, life, and commitment to animals have such a strong fan following.

Born in Zürich, 32-year-old Schneider found his calling at a very young age when he envisioned a life with wild animals. "I thought about what really matters the most to me and that was always the animal world," he says. Giving up a thriving career in finance in his early 20s, he moved to South Africa and went on to establish Hakuna Mipaka (Swahili for 'No Limits') in 2017. The sanctuary is built on the idea of loving, respecting, understanding, and protecting the natural world and its beings.

"I had no wife and kids [then] and thought let's just swap everything around, go to a place where these animals actually are at home, their real home, and then just build a safe haven for them. And that's how everything came to life," he explains.

Today, Schneider's dream is managed by a core team that he refers to as his family.