He could be facing deportation and a HUGE fine <\/p>\n
Mike Holston, known online as The Real Tarzan, is now under investigation by authorities in Australia after wrestling with wild crocodiles for clout.<\/p>\n
Mike Holston used to be a wide receiver in the NFL, but he\u2019s now an influencer<\/a> whose content largely centres around animals. He\u2019s got 15.5 million followers on Instagram, 5.4 million on TikTok<\/a>, and one million on YouTube. Oh, and he\u2019s hot, which might not seem that important, but it comes back later.<\/p>\n What did Mike \u2018The Real Tarzan\u2019 Holston do?<\/p>\n Mike Holston, known online as The Real Tarzan, is in hot water after posting a video wrestling a crocodile Source: 9News Melbourne pic.twitter.com\/uzfW8UbV3u<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rusty Sun Compass (@sun_iscompass) September 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Mike Holston is currently in Australia, where he\u2019s been filming content with apex predators like saltwater crocodiles. In clips that have since gone viral on both Instagram and TikTok, the Real Tarzan was shirtless wrestling with the crocs, grabbing them aggressively, and jumping on their backs. In other videos, he grabbed a crocodile by the neck to show the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what dreams are made of,\u201d he said in the footage, which is still up on his Instagram.<\/p>\n The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) are now investigating the incident, according to the BBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThese actions are extremely dangerous and illegal, and we are actively exploring strong compliance action, including fines to deter any person from this type of behaviour,\u201d the environment department said in a statement. \u201cLet us be clear: people should not attempt to capture freshwater or saltwater crocodiles in Queensland, unless they are trained and licensed to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Mike has not issued an official response, he did tell people in the comments that the crocs were \u201creleased after a few close looks and photos were taken.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Still, he could now be facing hefty fines of up to $27,539 AUD, and that\u2019s not counting on-the-spot fines for simply \u201cremaining in close proximity to a crocodile on land.\u201d Those minor infractions can carry fines of $806 AUD, racking up to as much as $16,690 AUD.<\/p>\n His actions have been widely slammed<\/p>\n Though PETA is yet to issue a statement, and you know they\u2019re gonna, Mike \u2018The Real Tarzan\u2019 Holston\u2019s actions have been slammed by a range of people. Many have accused him of exploiting the animals with his shirt off for more social media attention.<\/p>\n @therealtarzann<\/a> <\/p>\n Catching king cobras is never easy \ud83d\udd25 #fyp<\/a> #nature<\/a><\/p>\n \u266c original sound \u2013 TheRealTarzann<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cReal little d**k energy mate\u2026. Stupid behaviour to post online. If you\u2019re going to come to our country, please respect our wildlife without interfering with it for social media clout,\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is completely useless and dangerous for the crocodile. Freshwater crocodile suffers from stress and could die from stress. This video is not educational, not for education or conservation, this is only to show your \u2018manly brave\u2019 and likes,\u201d another wrote.<\/p>\n Someone else pointed out: \u201cThis is horrible. That crocodile is so stressed. This behaviour is illegal and crocodiles are a protected species.\u201d<\/p>\n Even the late Steve Irwin\u2019s dad got involved, with Bob arguing that: \u201cPeople visiting our country need to respect our wildlife, or they need to be booted out the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Holston has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n For more like this,\u00a0like The Tab on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Featured image credit: Mike Holston<\/p>\n