What a croc \u2014 of influencer sh-t.<\/p>\n
A self-anointed American wildlife wrangler known as \u201cThe Real Tarzann\u201d is facing massive backlash \u2014 and a possible fine \u2014 after uploading a controversial video of himself wrestling a freshwater crocodile in the waters of Queensland, Australia.<\/p>\n
Mike Holston, an influencer with over 23 million followers, shared the footage on Thursday, Sept. 4 \u2014\u00a0and quickly got roasted by followers and other digital onlookers.<\/p>\n
Holston chased and caught a freshwater crocodile in shallow waters in Australia. Mike Holston \/ Instagram<\/p>\n
The video<\/a>, reportedly filmed near Lockhart River in Cape York, shows Holston stepping off a boat into shallow water and charging towards a crocodile.<\/p>\n Startled, the crocodile tries to flee, but Holston runs it down, jumps on its back, and wrestles it to shore \u2014 in a tense struggle captured by a cameraman.<\/p>\n \u201cHe got ahold of me, but I got ahold of him!\u201d Holston declared, laughing, as blood poured from a gash on his arm. <\/p>\n \u201cHe got a good piece of my arm, man. Look at that guy,\u201d he said over the crocodile\u2019s groans. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is sick. This is what dreams are made of. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to come to Australia and just look at crocodiles, catch them between my hands, and see them up close.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cHe got ahold of me, but I got ahold of him!\u201d Holston declared, laughing, as blood poured from a gash on his arm. Mike Holston \/ Instagram<\/p>\n But not everyone found it \u201csick\u201d in the same way. <\/p>\n The video quickly racked up more than 800,000 views \u2014 but it also triggered widespread outrage from conservation groups and members of the public. <\/p>\n The public response has been divided. While many of Holston\u2019s followers were in awe of the crazy stunt, others weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do that to them though? I don\u2019t get it. Leave them alone. It\u2019s kind of sad you\u2019re coming up into their safe space it\u2019s not right,\u201d someone commented. <\/p>\n \u201cBro, the poor guy was just there, resting and not hurting anyone. I don\u2019t understand why you\u2019d bother him and invade his space just for a simple video,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC), a Queensland-based animal welfare organization, publicly condemned the stunt on social media. <\/p>\n \u201cThis behavior is distressing for the animal and illegal under the Nature Conservation Act,\u201d the group said in a statement<\/a> on Friday, Sept. 5. \u201cWhen it\u2019s promoted on large social media platforms \u2014 without permits or authority to handle wildlife \u2014 it sets a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, the penalty is minimal considering the monetisation these accounts make.\u201d<\/p>\n According to CROC, Holston\u2019s video was reported to authorities multiple times by concerned viewers. The group urged the public not to engage with or promote such content, and instead to report it when spotted online. <\/p>\n Queensland\u2019s Department of Environment confirmed that an investigation is underway. \u201cIt is a significant offence to interfere with freshwater crocodiles in Queensland, not to mention extremely dangerous,\u201d a department spokesperson said, according to the Daily Mail<\/a>. <\/p>\n Under Queensland law, deliberately disturbing or handling crocodiles without authorization can lead to fines of approximately $18,000. <\/p>\n The video quickly racked up more than 800,000 views \u2014 but it also triggered widespread outrage from conservation groups and members of the public. Ipman65 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n However, Holston is no stranger to controversy. His social media is filled with footage of close encounters with dangerous wildlife, including giant snakes, birds of prey, and even a Sumatran saltwater crocodile.<\/p>\n The incident in Queensland is just the latest in a growing trend of influencers engaging in wildlife stunts for views. <\/p>\n