American influencer slammed over risky crocodile-wrestling selfie stunt

A wildlife influencer from the US calling himself “The Real Tarzann” is catching serious heat after posting a jaw-dropping video of himself wrestling a freshwater crocodile in Australia.

Mike Holston, who has more than 23 million followers online, shared the video on September 4, and it didn’t take long before he got roasted by viewers. The footage, shot near Lockhart River in Queensland’s Cape York area, shows him stepping off a boat into shallow water and charging at the croc like it’s some kind of game.

The crocodile tries to escape, but Holston chases it down, jumps on its back, and drags it to shore, all while laughing, showing off, and even letting viewers see blood streaming from a bite on his arm.

“He got ahold of me, but I got ahold of him!” he jokes, even as the croc groans in the background. “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,” he adds, grinning.

But not everyone was as excited.

The video quickly racked up over 800,000 views, but the backlash was swift. Many people were baffled, frustrated, and straight-up angry that someone would disturb a wild animal just to make a flashy video.

One viewer commented, “Why do that to them, though? I don’t get it. Leave them alone. It’s kind of sad you’re coming up into their safe space, it’s not right.”

Another added, “Bro, the poor guy was just there, resting and not hurting anyone. I don’t understand why you’d bother him and invade his space just for a simple video.”

Wildlife organizations also weighed in. Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC), an animal welfare group in Queensland, slammed the stunt as both harmful and illegal.

“This behavior is distressing for the animal and illegal under the Nature Conservation Act,” they said in a statement, as reported by NY Post. “When it’s promoted on big social media platforms without permits or proper authority, it sets a dangerous example. The fines are minimal compared to how much money influencers make from this kind of content.”