‘The Real Tarzann’ Influencer Faces Backlash for Wrestling Crocodile

A wildlife influencer took on an extremely dangerous opponent in the waters of Queensland, Australia, and his actions have proved to be particularly controversial.

On Thursday, Sept. 4, content creator Mike Holston shared a video of his latest encounter with a freshwater crocodile. In the video, he appears to spot the animal from a boat before climbing out and approaching it. Though it initially seemed calm, the crocodile started to thrash in the water once provoked by Holston, who dubs himself “the Real Tarzann.”

The large reptile fought back aggressively after Holston moved to grab and wrestle with it along the shallow shoreline. Once the American social media star had the crocodile in a hold, his cameraman rushed in to capture their dramatic standoff.

“He got ahold of me, but I got ahold of him!” Holston told his recording companion while gripping the open-mouthed animal’s neck. Blood can be seen gushing from a gash on the side of Holston’s arm, though he appeared unbothered as he laughed in the water.

“He got a good piece of my arm, man. Look at that guy,” he said over the crocodile’s groans, showing off its body for the camera. “This is sick. This is what dreams are made of. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to come to Australia and just look at crocodiles, catch them between my hands, and see them up close.”

Holston added that his particular catch appeared to be nearly full-sized, though he noted that freshwater crocodiles can grow up to about six-and-a-half feet.

“He gave us a little, nice ‘welcome home,'” he added before the crocodile thrashed and wiggled free from his grip. As it swam off and away, Holston called out, “That guy is strong!”

While the video already racked up over 800,000 views less than one day after its upload, local animal advocacy organization Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC) responded on social media to condemn Holston’s actions. The group said his post “has been reported to the Queensland Government many times,” with many reaching out directly to CROC.

“This behaviour is 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,” read CROC’s Instagram statement on Friday, Sept. 5. “Unfortunately, the penalty is minimal considering the monetisation these accounts make.”

Holston did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

According to the Queensland Government website, “deliberately disturbing” a crocodile can result in maximum court-imposed fines of over $18,000 USD.

CROC concluded their response by implored people not to engage with content like Holston’s video with the freshwater animal. Instead, the organization urged viewers to “report it instead.”