Canadian influencer slammed for dangerous crocodile act
A Canadian influencer has left Australians appalled after sharing a shocking clip, and experts have warned against his actions.
Lifestyle
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A Canadian influencer has sparked intense backlash after posting footage of himself capturing a baby crocodile in Australia for a video opportunity.
It was posted by Colton Macaulay, who uses the handles @kingcoltyy and @coltyy online, where he has a combined 16 million followers across various platforms.
The 27-year-old student from Nova Scotia, Canada, has built a large following for his content, which often involves taking part in challenges with wildlife and exotic animals.
Influencer picks up crocodile
The video, now deleted from all platforms except Facebook, is titled ‘Catching crocodiles in Australia’.
The footage shows Macaulay picking up a baby freshwater crocodile out of a creek at night with his bare hands.
After spotting it in the water, he holds it up by the neck for the camera as it thrashes about, and its tail dangles in the air.
“Hey guys, I’m in Australia right now, and we just yoinked a freshwater croc,” he says in the voice-over.
“I don’t think he was happy about it because he started making these sounds like a chainsaw. Or maybe that’s the sound they make when they decide to cry like a little b*tch.”
The crocodile is seen with its jaw wide open, making a shrieking noise while Macaulay grabs its neck to hold it.
While freshwater crocodiles are not considered as dangerous as their saltwater counterparts because they are usually shy and tend to avoid humans, they can bite if they feel threatened, causing serious injuries.
News.com.au is not aware of any investigations related to the incident. It is also not clear if Macauley has a permit for his activity.
It is not known which state or territory the video was filmed in. However, this species is only found in the northern regions, specifically the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.
Crocodile expert and conservationalist Paul Bowen believes it was in Cape York.
It is also not known exactly when the influencer was in Australia, as content creators often post videos after they leave a country.
He shared this particular clip on January 27 but has been posting videos from Australia up until four days ago.
The swift backlash
His video has amassed nearly half a million views, with many comments condemning his actions.
One called him a “moron”.
“How stupid are you?” asked someone else, while another said he was an “idiot”.
Meanwhile, a different commenter called him “a disgrace”.
Handling crocodiles
Macaulay’s video includes a warning on it that claimed the act was “performed by a professional”.
According to LinkedIn, Macaulay is currently a student at Acadia University in Canada and has worked as a sales representative, waiter, professional removalist, and door-to-door market researcher.
news.com.au has reached out to him for comment.
Only authorised individuals are permitted to handle crocodiles in Australia, and permits are only given out by each state’s relevant government department.
These include the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia, the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation in QLD and Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory.
Mr Bowen told news.com.au that if the video was filmed in QLD, “No one can handle crocodiles in the wild, unless they’re from Australia Zoo Crocodile Research Team or work for the Department of Environmental and Science Crocodile Team.
“No random person can obtain a permit to catch crocodiles unless it is specifically for research purposes.”
Mr Bowen also said that as Macaulay is a foreign visitor, it is unlikely he would be able to obtain a permit to handle a crocodile, especially for what appeared to be the recreational purposes shown in his video.
“Permits are generally required for specific activities like farming, education, or egg harvesting,” he said.
News.com.au has reached out to the respective government departments to determine if Macaulay has a permit, but it is not clear at time of publishing.
Laws around interfering with crocodiles
Freshwater crocodiles are a protected species in Australia, which means they fall under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
A spokesperson for Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told news.com.au, “A person may commit an offence if they take or move a member of a listed threatened species from in or on a Commonwealth area without approval”.
That means that if a person does not have a permit, interfering with crocodiles is an offence carrying various penalties, depending on the state in which it occurred.
In the Northern Territory, interfering with wildlife comes with a penalty of $92,500 or up to five years in prison.
In Queensland, deliberately disturbing crocodiles can result in a fine of up to $26,615, and in Western Australia, it’s up to $200,000.
Animal welfare considerations
A lawyer from the Animal Defenders Office, a legal centre specialising in animal protection, said that crocodiles are covered by animal welfare laws in Australia.
“There are no doubt a plethora of nature conservation laws that would apply to this person,” they added.
NT Parks and Wildlife weighs in
There’s also the obvious safety concerns. A Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife spokesperson has said that interacting with crocodiles is a risky move for the human and the animal.
“It can cause injury or death and impact a crocodile’s behaviour around humans,” they said.
“Interference can result in the animal needing to be removed from the wild due to altered behaviour and becoming dangerous to the public. Often these animals are destroyed.”
Conservationist’s concerns
Mr Bowen says this video is part of a broader trend of content creators filming questionable videos with animals for views.
“I have noticed a dramatic influx of not only influencers messing with our native wildlife in Australia, including freshwater crocodiles, but also with different species of crocodiles,” he said.
He believes a lack of education is to blame.
“I would like to see more education programs regarding crocodile safety implemented in schools across the country, as it would create a positive ripple effect,” he said.
Influencer’s other dangerous videos
It’s not the first time Macaulay has publicly shared videos of him catching, handling and interacting with wild animals in Australia.
This week, he shared a clip of himself catching the world’s most venomous fish, the stonefish, which is capable of killing an adult within an hour of being stung.
Despite knowing it has fatal venom, Macaulay picks it up with his hands and then attempts to release the fish of its venom by using a thong to squirt it into the air.
In a clip from March, he admits to having caught 40 snakes during his 10-day stay in Australia.
He is then seen goading various snakes to try and bite him, until one, which he believes is non-venomous, does.
In another video, he was accidentally bitten by an Eastern Small-eyed snake, which is highly venomous, and he called it his “closest brush with death”.
He has also shared two videos of himself swimming in crocodile-infested waters.
Yet another video shows him handling a Red Back Spider, with the intention to “f**k around and find out” what happens.
He ended up getting bitten but claims he didn’t go to hospital because he had a flight to catch.
In another clip from two weeks ago, he shared himself taking geckos, iguanas and baby turtles from their habitats in Florida.
When he wakes up the reptiles while they sleep to catch and film them, some start making noises.
He then called himself the “Freddy Krueger of reptiles,” a nod to the Nightmare on Elm Street character.
When asked why he enjoys doing these sorts of things, he says it provides him with adrenaline and makes him “feel something”.
Originally published as Canadian influencer slammed for dangerous crocodile act
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