Canadian influencer Colton Macaulay cops backlash from Australians over video of him holding baby crocodile
In the clip, Colton Macaulay can be seen holding a medium-sized crocodile which when pulled out of the water begins to thrash about and opens its jaws — clearly not happy with being disturbed.
The video Catching Crocodiles In Australia was reported on news.com.au and has since been deleted off Macaulay's social media accounts where he has more than 15 million followers combined.
The 27-year-old from Nova Scotia, Canada, has videos with him handling what appear to be dangerous insects and exotic animals and boasting about it to his fans.
Other videos on his social media accounts show him getting bitten by snakes, having spiders crawl across his face and small insects all over his hands.
But it was the influencer's antics Down Under that earnt him backlash from Aussie viewers shocked that he not only disturbed native animals but seemingly had no regard for the danger he had put himself in.
The video amassed nearly half a million views until it was removed, with many comments condemning his actions.
'How stupid are you?' asked one user, while others called him a 'moron' and an 'idiot.'
It's not the first time an influencer has caused backlash for tampering with Australian wildlife.
Earlier this year, American influencer Sam Jones was condemned for picking up a baby wombat on the side of the road so she could pose for a picture with it.
It was clearly in distress after being snatched from its mother, with the footage sparking mass condemnation.
Jones later apologised in another video.
Authorisation is needed to handle crocodiles in Australia, with permits handled by the individual States.
It is not clear whether the influencer was familiar with the relevant laws.
Ben Pearson, Country Director at World Animal Protection Australia told Perth Now that it condemned Macaulay's actions.
'Just a quick look at this influencer's account and you can see multiple videos where they're interfering with Aussie wildlife in their homes, from cassowaries to wobbegong sharks. Our iconic Australian animals, like all wildlife, are best loved from a distance.' Pearson said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
2 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Reality TV star Matt Wright's court dates locked in after Chris Wilson death
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trial dates have finally been set for a Northern Territory reality TV star who is facing charges following the death of his mate. Matt Wright, also known as the Outback Wrangler, faces three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following a helicopter crash in February 2022 that killed his friend and co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson. The trial is set to begin in the Northern Territory with the selection of the jury on July 30. Mr Wright was the host of Outback Wrangler, a reality series that saw him tracking down Australian wildlife in rural Australia. He also hosted the Netflix show Wild Croc Territory in 2022. Mr Wilson is alleged to have been suspended from the chopper on a crocodile egg collecting mission over the King River in Arnhem Land, when the helicopter crashed into the paperbark swamp, killing the 34-year-old father and critically injuring his 28-year-old pilot, Sebastian Robinson. It has been alleged Mr Wright was not properly following the maintenance rules for his helicopters, and attempted to cover this up in the wake of the crash. Mr Wright has strenuously denied all wrongdoing. The trial's start date has faced many delays, most recently in mid-June when Justice Alan Blow accepted Mr Wright's defence barrister Luke Officer's request to push the July 7 start date back to July 28, resulting in the departure of Crown prosecutor James Moore from the case due to a double booking. During a pre-trial hearing in Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday, it was revealed neither the defence nor the prosecution were prepared for that date. 'Both of us agree that we are simply not ready to start on Monday,' defence barrister David Edwardson KC said. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC endorsed the delay, leading Justice Blow to set a new start date for Wednesday, July 30. The court was told there would be a pre-trial hearing on Monday, then the jury would be selected on Wednesday, with opening arguments beginning on Thursday. Mr Gullaci indicated one witness would be Mr Robinson, who was also seriously injured in the crash and allegedly involved in the cover-up. 'I think it is likely there will be at least one or two witnesses that will, to use the phrase 'set the scene', before we call upon (Mr Robinson),' he said. Originally published as Reality TV star Matt Wright's trial dates locked in after Chris Wilson's death
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Father who moved family to Russia to escape ‘woke' America is sent to front line
'You're not. So, unfortunately, he feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing.' Huffman's last message came in June, marking Father's Day in the US. Wearing camouflage and military gear, he appeared in a one-minute video addressed to his family. Loading 'I miss you all more than you can imagine,' he said. 'I can't wait to see you ... hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to go home and spend a couple of weeks with you. 'But man, you're on my mind 24/7 and just know that what I'm doing is important to me and important to our family. Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other.' Since then, there have been no new images or videos of Huffman. The family commented on their YouTube channel that he was 'doing fine'. However, a link on their channel, which has since been deleted, directed users to a Telegram group titled 'Save the little girls'. Created on Sunday, the group contained one message: 'We are asking the United States government to save this family,' along with a photo of DeAnna Huffman and her daughters crying in the street. It is unclear if the family created the group. London masthead The Telegraph has contacted the Huffmans for comment. Their move to Russia was prompted by their dissatisfaction with what they saw as progressive overreach in the American education system. After relocating from Arizona to Texas, they were disturbed when their daughter, Sophia, was expected to speak about lesbian topics at school. 'The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learnt about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn't fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,' Derek Huffman told Russia Today. Traditional values A trip to Moscow in May 2023 convinced the family that Russia offered the traditional values they desired. 'The city was cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we ever imagined. Most importantly, we found a place that respected our values – where we finally felt at home,' Huffman continued. Upon arriving in Russia, the family were featured in several state-affiliated media outlets, where they described their move as a rejection of Western cultural values. Derek Huffman said he wanted to earn his place in Russian society not via handouts but through service. 'The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,' he said. 'If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts.' But DeAnna Huffman has since claimed her husband was misled. 'When he signed up and had all of that done, he was told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines,' she said. 'But it seems as though he is getting one more week of training, closer to the front lines, and then they are going to put him on the front lines.' Loading DeAnna Huffman said in her vlog: 'It's been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia, and while we've had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. 'Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,' she said. The Huffmans settled in an 'American village', a settlement in Istra created by US expat and blogger Tim Kirby, who has lived in Russia for two decades. It was founded in 2023 as a refuge for Americans fleeing what Kirby described as 'liberal gender norms'.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Father who moved family to Russia to escape ‘woke' America is sent to front line
'You're not. So, unfortunately, he feels like he's being thrown to the wolves right now, and he's kind of having to lean on faith, and that's what we're all doing.' Huffman's last message came in June, marking Father's Day in the US. Wearing camouflage and military gear, he appeared in a one-minute video addressed to his family. Loading 'I miss you all more than you can imagine,' he said. 'I can't wait to see you ... hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to go home and spend a couple of weeks with you. 'But man, you're on my mind 24/7 and just know that what I'm doing is important to me and important to our family. Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other.' Since then, there have been no new images or videos of Huffman. The family commented on their YouTube channel that he was 'doing fine'. However, a link on their channel, which has since been deleted, directed users to a Telegram group titled 'Save the little girls'. Created on Sunday, the group contained one message: 'We are asking the United States government to save this family,' along with a photo of DeAnna Huffman and her daughters crying in the street. It is unclear if the family created the group. London masthead The Telegraph has contacted the Huffmans for comment. Their move to Russia was prompted by their dissatisfaction with what they saw as progressive overreach in the American education system. After relocating from Arizona to Texas, they were disturbed when their daughter, Sophia, was expected to speak about lesbian topics at school. 'The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learnt about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn't fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,' Derek Huffman told Russia Today. Traditional values A trip to Moscow in May 2023 convinced the family that Russia offered the traditional values they desired. 'The city was cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we ever imagined. Most importantly, we found a place that respected our values – where we finally felt at home,' Huffman continued. Upon arriving in Russia, the family were featured in several state-affiliated media outlets, where they described their move as a rejection of Western cultural values. Derek Huffman said he wanted to earn his place in Russian society not via handouts but through service. 'The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,' he said. 'If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts.' But DeAnna Huffman has since claimed her husband was misled. 'When he signed up and had all of that done, he was told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines,' she said. 'But it seems as though he is getting one more week of training, closer to the front lines, and then they are going to put him on the front lines.' Loading DeAnna Huffman said in her vlog: 'It's been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia, and while we've had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. 'Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,' she said. The Huffmans settled in an 'American village', a settlement in Istra created by US expat and blogger Tim Kirby, who has lived in Russia for two decades. It was founded in 2023 as a refuge for Americans fleeing what Kirby described as 'liberal gender norms'.
