American influencer Holston has risen to fame by posting videos of himself wrestling with wild animals, and now has more than 15.5 million followers on Instagram. Recently, he caught a crocodile by hand in the Australian wilderness and posted the video online, stirring controversy. On the 11th, the Australian government confirmed that the footage was filmed in Queensland, stating that Holston has been warned and that an investigation into the incident is underway.
On the 6th, Holston posted a video on Instagram showing him arriving at a wetland by a small boat, then rushing forward to grab a crocodile. He said: "This is a saltwater crocodile."
In another video afterwards, Holston is seen chasing another crocodile in a river, capturing it despite an injured arm and the crocodile's cries. He said, “This is my dream. I’ve wanted to come to Australia to observe crocodiles since I was a child.”
Although the crocodiles were eventually released back into the wild, Holston's actions have already drawn the attention of the Australian government.
The Queensland environmental department warned Holston in a statement on Thursday: “These actions are extremely dangerous and illegal. We are actively exploring strong compliance measures, including fines, to deter anyone from such behavior.”
State law stipulates that only trained and licensed individuals are allowed to catch saltwater or Australian freshwater crocodiles. Otherwise, offenders may be fined at least 8,345 Australian dollars (23,300 ringgit).