Animal rights groups and Queensland authorities moved to sanction an American social media influencer after video footage showed him wrestling a freshwater crocodile in Cape York, prompting calls for him to be banned from Australia and for law enforcement action.
PETA Australia called on authorities to "follow the investigation through to the end, and for Mike Holston to be punished to the full extent of the law, including being deported and banned from entering Australia again," after Holston, known online as The Real Tarzann, posted footage reportedly filmed at the Lockhart River about 520 kilometres north of Cairns.
The videos, which a Queensland government spokesperson said are being "actively investigated," show Holston stepping off a small boat into ankle-deep water, approaching a sunbasking crocodile, and then pursuing the reptile as it swam away. One clip appears to show Holston jumping onto the crocodile’s back and pulling it from the water. Holston acknowledged the animal bit him, saying in one video that the crocodile "got a good piece of my arm," with visible bleeding above his elbow.
PETA described the behaviour as "cruel" and "stupid," accusing Holston of regularly using animals as props and of provoking and engaging them in "reckless, hazardous stunts." A PETA Australia statement said crocodiles, like other native wildlife such as wombats and koalas, "are sensitive individuals who experience pain and stress, and who deserve to live in peace without fear that visiting influencers will tackle and roughly handle them."
Cairns-based Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC), an animal welfare group, said the footage had been reported to the Queensland Government multiple times and said the behaviour was distressing for the animal and illegal under the Nature Conservation Act. "When it's promoted on large social media platforms, without permits or authority to handle wildlife, it sets a dangerous precedent," CROC said, urging stronger penalties to deter similar incidents.
Queensland's Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) told ABC News the actions captured in the videos were "extremely dangerous and illegal," and that the department was "actively exploring strong compliance action including fines to deter any person from this type of behaviour." Under Queensland law, deliberately feeding, disturbing, or handling crocodiles without authorisation can attract fines of up to A$26,615.
Holston has posted multiple clips across several days showing him catching crocodiles; one of his videos reportedly amassed more than 32 million views. The footage comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign influencers handling Australian wildlife: in March, an American hunter drew similar condemnation after video emerged of her grabbing a wild baby wombat and briefly separating it from its mother. That incident prompted public complaints, an investigation into whether visa conditions were breached, and comments from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing the actions as an "outrage." The hunter subsequently left Australia before her visa was cancelled.
Immigration enforcement has in past cases examined whether visa holders who handle wildlife have breached conditions, and PETA urged the same here. The Daily Mail has contacted Holston, DETSI, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs for comment. The Queensland investigation into the crocodile videos remains ongoing, and authorities have indicated they are considering enforcement measures consistent with state conservation laws.