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An American influencer is in hot water after he posted a video of himself wrestling a freshwater crocodile on a recent trip to Australia.
Mike Holston calls himself “The Real Tarzann” online, dedicating his content to encounters with exotic wildlife.
On September 4, he posted a video of hisinteraction with a freshwater crocodile in Cape York, Queensland, according to the New York Post.
Spotting the crocodile in the waters of the Lockhart River, he chases after the animal as it tries to escape, wrestling with it aggressively.
Holston continues to restrain the reptile even after it wounds his arm, gleefully presenting the croc to his 23 million-plus followers.
“This 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.”
Holston can be seen chasing after the fearful animal in the video. Photo / Mike Holston
The act has been criticised by Australian animal welfare groups, who say viewers should report similar content to wildlife protection authorities.
A Queensland-based group, Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC), described Holston’s actions as “distressing” to the crocodile.
“When it’s promoted on large social media platforms – without permits or authority to handle wildlife – it sets a dangerous precedent,” the group said in a statement posted on September 5.
“Unfortunately, the penalty is minimal considering the monetisation these accounts make.”
The Cairns Post reported that the Department of Environment is investigating the incident after receiving several reports about the video.
A spokeswoman for the department confirmed “it is a significant offence to interfere with freshwater crocodiles in Queensland, not to mention extremely dangerous”.
Holston spent time with infamous crocodile wrangler Matt Wright in August, shortly before the reality television star was found guilty in what was a highly publicised court case.
