US influencer The Real Tarzan’s croc wrestling videos spark debate on Far North Qld wildlife

A controversial video posted to social media by a US influencer has sparked debate on a raft of issues relating to human interaction with crocs and native wildlife in the state’s Far North.

A controversial video posted to social media by US influencer Mike Holston has sparked debate on a raft of issues relating to human interaction with crocodiles and native wildlife in Far North Queensland.

Mr Holston,whose online persona is “The Real Tarzan”, made headlines after chasing and catching crocodiles in an area he tagged as Lockhart River in his social posts.

Social media influencer Mike Holston has been criticised for interacting with two wild crocodiles in Far North Queensland.

He posted a number of videos of his wildlife interactions to his social accounts, including more than one in which he ran after and grabbed freshwater and saltwater crocodile, posing for the camera with them.

In one video, Mr Holston can be seen with blood on him, which appears to be from injuries sustained while wrestling one of the crocs.

In the United States the 31-year-old has been criticised by experts for his treatment of wildlife.

The Florida-based influencer travels the world seeking out interactions with dangerous animals to share with his huge network of followers, including with 15.2m people on Instagram alone.

The videos sparked widespread controvery, with Bob Irwin, father of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, weighing in on the debate.

The 31-year-old has been criticised by experts in the US for his interactions with wildlife.

In one video posted to social media, believeed to be filmed in Northern Australian, the influencer can be seen with blood on his arm.

“These posts can have disastrous consequences for both people and wildlife,” Mr Irwin said.

Since the videos appeared online, the Queensland Department of Environment has confirmed an investigation was underway.

Mr Holston has not been charged with any offences.

In Queensland, interfering with crocodiles can result in severe penalties, with maximum court-imposed fines reaching $26,615 for deliberately feeding or disturbing crocodiles.

The Cairns Post has contacted Mr Holston for comment.

Separately, trophy-hunting foreigners are reportedly “tricking” their way into a remote Indigenous community to poach native wildlife, according to traditional owners.

A Kuuku Ya’u Aboriginal Corporation spokeswoman and traditional owner of the Lockhart River area in Cape York told the Cairns Post there were growing concerns of wildlife interference in the community.

A Far North Queensland green python. The snakes have been the target of illegal activity in the Lockhart River region.

Lockhart River is represented by six different traditional owner families and the spokeswoman said foreigners should seek permission from local clans before attempting to access tradition land or cultural sites.

She said some foreigners had reportedly been untruthfully claiming to have permission to visit certain areas to access wild animals.

She said leaders across Lockhart River did not believe recent posts featuring Mr Holston twere filmed in their patch, despite his geotag displaying the remote community.

“I’ve seen the videos (of Mike Holston), but I haven’t seen him around. But when I saw the video I thought, ‘gee, that’s a bit silly’,” the spokeswoman said.

There is no suggestion Mr Holston is a poacher or trophy hunter or entered any lands without permission.

Wildlife advocate Amanda French said she had conversations with a Cairns-based law enforcement officer who told her his organisation had the ability to assist the state’s environment department with internet tracking of potential wildlife offenders.

Iconic conservationist Bob Irwin, father of the late Steve Irwin, has weighed in on the debate. Photo: Amanda French.

“I rang the (Department of Environment) hotline one day, where you report issues and the lady on the phone said they were getting swamped with social media reports of people interfering with crocs and wildlife, but they can’t keep up with it,” she said.

Ms French said while the last viral online post about human interference with Russel River’s Clyde was posted in June, there had been numerous posts shared to her organisation – Community Representation of Crocodiles – in the two months since.

“But this has been a concerning problem in our community. We’ve recently been getting outsiders coming in saying, ‘Oh, I know someone who knows someone’, and lying their way in and then taking green pythons.

“They’ve been picking them up, taking them out and we’ve noticed it because they’re letting some go in the middle of town.

“We know it’s happening and we’ve reported it to the department, but our rangers can’t do anything in the meantime. We just have to wait for the investigation.”

It’s understood the rare pythons have a steet value of close to $10,000 each.

A Department of Environment spokeswoman said it was investigating reports of native animals being taken unlawfully from the wild in the Lockhart River region.

“These are significant offences under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 with substantial penalties,” the spokeswoman said.

“Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the department by calling 1300 130 372 or completing an online wildlife complaint report.”

Originally published as US influencer The Real Tarzan’s croc wrestling videos spark debate on Far North Qld wildlife