Bob Irwin, father of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, has condemned American influencer Mike Holston, known as "The Real Tarzann", for posting videos of himself wrestling crocodiles in Queensland. Mr Irwin said such influencers should be "booted out the door" and criticised what he called "d***head legislation" for not being enforced strongly enough.
The Queensland environment department is investigating two videos shared by Mr Holston, one of which has over 32 million views on Instagram. The department stated that the actions are "extremely dangerous and illegal" and that it is exploring compliance action, including fines.
PETA has called for Mr Holston to face full legal penalties, be deported, and be barred from re-entering Australia. PETA advisor Mimi Bekhechi said interfering with crocodiles is "incredibly cruel" and that the animals experience pain and stress.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli labelled the influencer a "goose" and said anyone stupid enough to wrestle saltwater crocodiles should be called out. However, Mr Irwin demanded stricter action, noting that no one has been prosecuted under the new legislation introduced last year, which mandates tough measures against feeding and interacting with crocodiles.
Mr Irwin, a crocodile conservationist, expressed frustration that the message will only sink in when influencers are held to account and understand that having millions of followers does not exempt them from wildlife protection laws.
