Mike Holston, known online as The Real Tarzan, is now under investigation by authorities in Australia after wrestling with wild crocodiles for clout.
Mike Holston used to be a wide receiver in the NFL, but he’s now an influencer whose content largely centres around animals. He’s got 15.5 million followers on Instagram, 5.4 million on TikTok, and one million on YouTube. Oh, and he’s hot, which might not seem that important, but it comes back later.
What did Mike ‘The Real Tarzan’ Holston do?
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
— Rusty Sun Compass (@sun_iscompass) September 8, 2025
Mike Holston is currently in Australia, where he’s 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.
“This is what dreams are made of,” he said in the footage, which is still up on his Instagram.
The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) are now investigating the incident, according to the BBC.
“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 behaviour,” the environment department said in a statement. “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.”
Though Mike has not issued an official response, he did tell people in the comments that the crocs were “released after a few close looks and photos were taken.”
Still, he could now be facing hefty fines of up to $27,539 AUD, and that’s not counting on-the-spot fines for simply “remaining in close proximity to a crocodile on land.” Those minor infractions can carry fines of $806 AUD, racking up to as much as $16,690 AUD.
His actions have been widely slammed
Though PETA is yet to issue a statement, and you know they’re gonna, Mike ‘The Real Tarzan’ Holston’s 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.
@therealtarzann
“Real little d**k energy mate…. Stupid behaviour to post online. If you’re going to come to our country, please respect our wildlife without interfering with it for social media clout,” one person wrote.
“This 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 ‘manly brave’ and likes,” another wrote.
Someone else pointed out: “This is horrible. That crocodile is so stressed. This behaviour is illegal and crocodiles are a protected species.”
Even the late Steve Irwin’s dad got involved, with Bob arguing that: “People visiting our country need to respect our wildlife, or they need to be booted out the door.”
Mike Holston has been approached for comment.
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Featured image credit: Mike Holston
