The father of famous Animal Planet host Steve Irwin is speaking out after Instagram star Mike Holston went viral for ‘wrestling’ crocodiles and boa constrictors in Australia.
Mike Holston, also known as ‘The Real Tarzan,’ is an internet-famous personality known for his fitness and lifestyle content, as well as his videos interacting with reptiles like monitor lizards, snakes, and crocodiles.
His short videos have earned him over 15 million followers on Instagram — but some of his most recent uploads are sparking backlash from animal rights groups and even the Australian government.
In September 2025, Holston published a series of videos chasing and catching wild crocodiles in Far North Queensland. Comments quickly poured in criticizing the influencer, and it wasn’t long before animal rights group PETA got involved.
“Aside from it being illegal and unfathomably stupid to interfere with a crocodile in Queensland, it’s also incredibly cruel,” PETA advisor Mimi Bekhechi said in a statement.
Even the Australian government has stepped in, with a spokesperson from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) spokesperson confirming that they are “actively investigating” the videos.
“These actions are extremely dangerous and illegal, and we are actively exploring strong compliance action including fines to deter any person from this type of behavior,” the spokesperson remarked.
David Crisafulli, the Premier of Queensland, even called the Instagram star a “goose,” but deferred any possible legal retaliation to Australia’s federal government.
“If you think that is a sustainable business model to go wrestling with saltwater crocodiles, I think it’s probably not going to end the way that he thinks it’s going to,” he said.
Bob Irwin slams influencer for “interfering” with Australian wildlife
However, the most damning reaction came from the father of late animal conservationist and wildlife expert Steve Irwin. 86-year-old Bob Irwin lashed out at the content creator in a heated statement that’s taking social media by storm, calling Holston a “d**khead.”
“People visiting our country need to respect our wildlife, or they need to be booted out the door,” he said, going on to say the Australian government should “throw the book” at influencers who dangerously mishandle local wildlife.
“The message is only going to sink in when we see these so-called influencers held to account and understand that 15 million followers don’t make you exempt from the laws that protect our wildlife.
“It’s disappointing to understand that not one person has been prosecuted in Queensland since the new legislation was introduced.”
He went on to address commenters who compared Holston’s actions to those of his son’s, Steve, arguing that the two can’t even be “put in the same sentence.”
“This isn’t a Steve Irwin issue,” Bob continued. “This is about an individual interfering with protected fauna.”
Thus far, Holston has continued to post his regular content on Instagram and has not made a statement addressing the backlash against him — but commenters are making sure to remind him on every one of his most recent videos.
This is just the latest incident involving an influencer and wildlife to go viral after a Kick streamer encountered a wild tiger stalking him in the forests of Thailand during a nighttime excursion.
