Dean Schneider’s journey from the financial world to founding a wildlife sanctuary is nothing short of transformative. Growing up in Zurich, far from the wild terrains he now calls home, Dean was inspired by animal shows and conservation icons. After a successful stint in finance, this passion eventually led him to create Hakuna Mipaka, a sanctuary in South Africa where he devotes his life to the welfare of animals, ranging from capuchin monkeys and spotted hyenas to a pride of lions—while running one of the world's most-followed wildlife conservation efforts on Instagram.

Today, as a Norqain ambassador, he continues to align his values with the brand, pushing for cruelty-free products while raising awareness for wildlife conservation. Their collaboration, which includes the creation of 100% animal-free watches, embodies the same authenticity that defines Schneider's life mission—here's a peek into our conversation during Schneider's first-ever visit to India, where he shares a bit about his collaboration with the watchmaker, his outlook on life and work, and an insider's account of a life lived on the wild side. Excerpts:

Could you tell me what initially inspired your passion for wildlife conservation? I'm particularly interested in how you switched from finance to founding your own sanctuary in South Africa.

Okay, well, we have to go back in time quite a bit. As a small boy, I was inspired by the animal shows on Animal Planet, like Steve Irwin—maybe you know him?

He brought wildlife into my living room. Honestly speaking, I grew up in Zurich, Switzerland, where we’re not really surrounded by a lot of wildlife. Mostly domestic animals like dogs, cats, cows, and sheep. But watching Steve Irwin’s shows about different reptiles and trips to places like Australia and Africa enlightened some sort of excitement and love for the animal world that I hadn’t felt before. And since then, that flame has never gone out in my heart.

Nonetheless, I had to follow a more traditional path in Switzerland because, as I mentioned, we don’t have many options to work with animals there. I ended up in the finance industry. After a while, I became successful early on and could afford things a lot of young guys at 21, 22, or 23 couldn’t, like having a car, living in the house I wanted, and having all those luxury goods. But after some time, you always need something new. It happens with everyone—you get used to the things that cost a lot of money, like luxurious goods. It could be a watch, a bag, a jacket, or a car. You buy it, and for the first couple of weeks or months, you're amazed and take care of it. But after some time, you forget what car you drive or how much you paid for certain things. The emotional value of those things drops.

That was dangerous for me. At 23, I thought, "Where am I going to be at 33? What will I need to feel satisfied at 40 or 50 if this cycle continues?" That brought me to the decision to go back to my roots, think about what really mattered to me, and swap my entire life around to dedicate my time, being, and skills to a new journey.

Can you take me behind the scenes and tell me what a typical day looks like for you at Hakuna Mipaka? How do you balance your personal life with the intense demands of running such a big operation?

Yeah, I get asked that a lot. The tough thing is, there isn’t really a regular day. I hope I wake up, have breakfast if I have time, and check on the animals around me—not the lions but the monkeys, dogs, wolves, and hyenas near the camp. If I have the time, I do that. But then suddenly, a worker will call because there’s a black mamba to remove, or a big storm might come, and the roof starts leaking. So, life there is very dynamic. No matter what the typical day looks like, it always changes.

Moving on to your partnership with Norqain, how does being an ambassador align with your conservation efforts? What kind of message do you want to spread through that partnership?

Well, the collaboration with Norqain started when I thought, "Let's explore the world of brand deals." I sat down with Ben Küffer, Norqain’s CEO, and it felt less like a business meeting and more like meeting an old friend. We had mutual values, views on life, and the whole vibe just clicked. From there, I knew there was potential for an authentic and organic collaboration.

One of the most important things for me was that I couldn’t promote anything involving animal cruelty. That was the biggest challenge—whether they would be willing to remove all animal products from a product associated with me. Within 24 hours, Ben discussed it with his board and called me back, saying they were on board. The next watch they produced would be 100% free of animal products, and they also worked to match it with my lifestyle. This supports my cause in two ways: spreading awareness and financial contribution, as 10% of every Norqain Wild One watch goes to the Schneider Foundation.

We’ve built a very natural relationship. Whenever we can, we support each other. Whether it's trips to Kenya or Tanzania, supporting orphanages, or helping with the conservation of rhinos on the brink of extinction, Norqain is always there to help.

These three watch models with your concept behind them are quite beautiful. How involved were you in the design process?

From the beginning, I was involved. But it wasn’t only me—the whole team contributed. Jean-Claude Biver, an iconic figure in the watch industry, and the Norqain team worked together. Pascal from Biwi created a phenomenal, fully vegan-certified rubber strap with a lion fur pattern.

There were a lot of creative minds on the project. I can say I played an essential role. We had to create a wild idea that reflected my lifestyle but was also classy enough for a business meeting. The biggest challenge was making sure the watch could withstand my lifestyle. I tested it while working with the animals and during sports to make sure it was durable. We succeeded, I think.

How do you think this change has shaped you as a person, and are there any specific encounters with animals in your sanctuary that have stayed with you?

The biggest thing is that it has grounded me. Finding a purpose bigger than yourself or your surroundings grounds you and gives you energy to keep going, whether it's a tough challenge or a good day. That drive helps me continue to succeed and become who I am today.

Ecotourism is very big today, especially in South Africa, where it’s one of the top destinations. There’s a fine balance between allowing people to experience wildlife and ensuring it doesn't harm the ecosystem. What are your views on this?

Ecotourism can be interpreted and practiced in many ways. I think the best thing is a safari, where you stick to the park’s rules but can still observe animals in their natural environment. Compare that to a zoo, where you see the animal, but nothing about its behavior or environment is natural.

It’s crucial to create an emotional connection between people and wildlife because people protect what they love. Before society can contribute to conservation efforts, we need to create that bond of love and fascination. I do my best through content, but you also need to bring people into nature. That said, it needs to be regulated. Too many people can destroy and interfere, which would do more harm than good.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be a conservationist, like those watching your content today?

Learn to love others the way they are, not how you wish them to be. Whether it's a person or an animal, try to understand them and love them the way they want to be loved. If you want to make a positive impact, you need to think about what’s best for the animal or person, not what you would want.

What are your plans for the rest of 2024 and into 2025?

We have a couple of projects. One is the Big Monkey Dome, a new natural home for the Capuchin family. We recently achieved our biggest milestone, releasing the lions into the wild. Now, we want to set up some projects for 2025, raise more awareness, and be a bit louder again. Last year was tough financially, but things are stabilizing, and we’re full of energy to spread the word again next year with some exciting projects.