Man known as 'The Real Tarzann' under fire for shocking videos with massive reptiles: 'Extremely dangerous and illegal'

A U.S. tourist in Australia has drawn backlash for cruelly capturing protected species for the benefit of his personal brand. The content creator, who calls himself "The Real Tarzann," has been hunting and capturing powerful wild animals to make viral videos for his TikTok account.

"Mike Holston is under fire for two videos posted for his millions of followers online — one showing him wrestling a freshwater crocodile, and another showing him manhandling a saltwater crocodile, one of the planet's deadliest creatures," the BBC reported.

Holston has excused his behavior by calling it "educational"; however, he has no formal veterinary training, and experts have decried the illegal behavior in the videos. "A second video shows Mr. Holston heading into marshland to capture a juvenile saltwater crocodile. Usually one of the world's most aggressive reptiles, the animal is largely limp as he holds it by the neck and lifts it for the camera," the BBC reported.

He explained that he always dreamed of coming to Australia to wrestle with these animals; however, personal desires count for little when faced with thousands of dollars in fines for animal abuse.

"Queensland officials say the influencer's actions, which can attract fines of up to A$37,500 (£18,300, $24,776), are 'extremely dangerous and illegal,'" according to the BBC.

If Holston were to be injured or killed by one of these deadly apex predators, there could be serious consequences. Wild animals that attack humans, usually because they are provoked by those same humans, are often euthanized to prevent further attacks. These wild creatures pay the ultimate price so that tourists can get a good selfie or, knowingly or unknowingly, wander freely in prohibited areas.

In the U.S., over 300 million tourists visit national parks annually. These are areas that are preserved and protected with our own tax dollars so we can leave cities and suburbs to engage with nature in a meaningful way.

However, these wild areas are not petting zoos. Dangerous predators have hunted in these areas for millennia, and getting too close to them can be fatal and risk the safety of everyone around you.

"Let us be clear: People should not attempt to capture freshwater or saltwater crocodiles in Queensland, unless they are trained and licensed to do so," the Queensland environmental department said, per the BBC.

Animal lovers and educators widely condemned the influencer's behavior. The father of Steve Irwin — the beloved Australian zookeeper and conservationist known as "The Crocodile Hunter" — weighed in on the issue, claiming that Irwin would never have wanted untrained social media influencers imitating his son's life's work.

TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight

💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all

"This isn't a Steve Irwin issue. This is about an individual illegally interfering with protected fauna," Bob Irwin said in the BBC report. "Anyone who actually knows how to handle crocodiles knows they don't respond well to capture. It's a specialised skill to do it without causing dangerous stress and lactic acid buildup — and this bloke clearly had no clue."

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?

Definitely 👍