Croc Hunter’s dad sinks boot into US influencer ‘goose’
Steve Irwin’s father says authorities should “throw the book” at an influencer over his treatment of crocodiles in Australia, describing it as disgusting.
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s father has slammed an American influencer’s “disgusting” treatment of the reptiles, rejecting comparisons with his famous son.
Bob Irwin has joined calls for Mike Holston — known online as “The Real Tarzann” — to be deported after his illegal wildlife interactions in far north Queensland.
Holston has come under fire for recent posts of videos to his millions of followers showing him catching and wrestling freshwater and saltwater crocs in Cape York.
The Crocodile Hunter’s dad called for authorities to “throw the book” at him Holston, saying his son should not be blamed for what he believed was a concerning rise in illegal wildlife content in Australia.
“This isn’t a Steve Irwin issue. This is about an individual illegally interfering with protected fauna,” Irwin said.
“When people compare the behaviour of blokes like Mike Holston to what Steve did, or claim they were influenced by him, it really gets under my skin.
You might like
“You can’t even put them in the same sentence. Everything Steve did … was to respect wildlife.”
A US influencer has been posting videos showing him wrestling freshwater and saltwater crocs. Photo: Instagram
His son also had appropriate permits to carry out his work — unlike influencers such as Holston who Irwin said had “no clue” of what he was doing.
“The crocodile is clearly under extreme stress — it’s disgusting,” he said of one of Holston’s posts.
Irwin helped set up Queensland’s Australia Zoo, where his son developed a passion for wildlife, becoming the world-famous Crocodile Hunter before his death in 2006.
Steve Irwin was a livewire on-air, but his work had a purpose, his father said.
Stay informed, daily
“He dedicated his entire life to conservation, wildlife research and education – what people saw on their TV screens didn’t show the half of it,” he said.
Bob Irwin’s advocacy led to the Queensland government in 2024 increasing penalties for reckless behaviour with crocodiles.
However, Irwin said it stopped short of introducing a social media offence for people who “post and boast” unlawful wildlife interactions.
He believes there has been a rise in reckless behaviour with wildlife by influencers, citing a 2023 incident in which a chicken was fed to a crocodile in north Queensland.
Mike Holston has also grabbed a blue tongue lizard and goanna while in Australia. Photo: Instagram
Holston’s posts have caught the Queensland government’s attention, with Premier David Crisafulli calling him a “goose”.
The Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation Department are “actively investigating” the influencer.
The maximum penalty for interfering with a saltwater crocodile is $37,500, and $27,539 with a “freshie”.
Irwin believed Holston should be “booted out the door”, saying the American proved the real problem wasn’t crocodiles — it was people who ignored the law.
-with AAP
