Global influencers have been harassing deadly Australian crocodiles for views – Image: Brian Cassey/AAP/dpa/picture alliance
American influencer and self-styled ‘Real Tarzann’ is being investigated for illegally wrestling wild crocodiles in northern Australia. Critics say animals are suffering to create viral content.
A backlash is growing against a spate of social media videos showing influencers tormenting Australian wildlife.
Some involve bare-chested men with millions of followers who routinely grapple with and provoke dangerous animals. One recent video posted on Instagram by US citizen Mike Holston, the so-called “Real Tarzann,” sees him hunt down and trap saltwater and freshwater crocodiles in Australia’s northern state of Queensland.
In one post, he enters the water and wrestles with a young crocodile before incapacitating it with a throat hold as blood streams down his arm. Within five days, the video had been viewed almost 5 million times.
But backlash on his Instagram post of the video has been swift: “Respectfully, Australian wildlife are not your props to use for pushing your own ‘influence’,” read one comment.
Mike Holston has been accused of exploiting wildlife for social media influence – Image: therealtarzann/Instagram
The Queensland government said it was “actively investigating” the videos, while its environment department called the actions “extremely dangerous and illegal.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has called for Holston to be deported from Australia for his crocodile harassment, and banned from re-entry.
“The American social media influencer visiting Australia regularly uses animals as props for content, including provoking them and engaging them in reckless, hazardous stunts,” said PETA’s Australian branch in a social media post.
In 2019, the Institute established by primate expert Jane Goodall responded to home videos of Holston interacting with a young chimpanzee, commenting that the influencer “promotes mishandling and inappropriate captive care.”
‘A social media stunt’
In July, another shirtless influencer, Canadian Colton Macaulay, posted a video of himself catching a juvenile freshwater crocodile in northern Australia that was clearly distressed.
“This is cruelty for the sake of content,” Ben Pearson, country director at animal rights group, World Animal Protection Australia, said in response to the Macaulay post. “Crocodiles are not playthings, they’re not there to amuse us or be used for a social media stunt. This is exactly the sort of irresponsible behaviour that puts wildlife and people at risk.”
World Animal Protection is calling on social media companies to regulate content that exploits wildlife, saying platforms should “consistently remove harmful content and hold creators accountable.”
“Animals will continue to pay the price for online popularity [without] stronger accountability,” the animal rights group said in an online blog post. “Influencers who promote unethical and illegal wildlife encounters are fuelling an exploitative industry that thrives on suffering.”
US-based influencer appeared to take a baby wombat from its mother on a social media video – Image: Julian Stratenschulte/dpa/picture alliance
Joey Clarke, senior science communicator with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which manages wildlife sanctuaries, also expressed concern about influencers harassing Australian wildlife.
“We are privileged to have more species of reptiles than any other country, including hundreds of species of lizards and snakes, as well as turtles and crocodiles,” he told DW. “It’s really disappointing that influencers visiting Australia feel compelled to interfere with wild animals, just to boost their own following online.”
Another US influencer and self-described “outdoor enthusiast and hunter,” Sam Jones, sparked outrage in March after posting a video in which she takes a baby wombat from its mother and shows it to the camera as the animal screeches.
“This is not a situation where you should pick up an animal and brag about it and show it to the camera and stress it out,” said US-based wildlife biologist, Forrest Galante, on his YouTube channel. “You’re creating stress for the baby, stress for the mother.”
“To take a baby wombat from its mother and clearly causing distress … is just an outrage,” said Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, of the incident.
Penalties for cruelty to animals in Australia include fines of up to around $30,000 (€25,600) and one year prison sentences.
Viral videos to drive ‘copycat tourism’
World Animal Protection is concerned that these viral videos will have a “ripple effect” among the millions of social media users that view the, leading to “copycat tourism.”
“It encourages others to see wild animals as entertainment and trivializes the stress and harm caused by such encounters,” stated the wildlife group.
Joey Clarke of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy also pushed back against people seeking to profit from illegal interactions with the nation’s unique fauna.
“Australia’s incredible wildlife deserves to be in the international spotlight, but not grabbed and harassed for social media videos.”
(DW.com/NAN 15-09-25)
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