'How stupid are you': Canadian influencer slammed after catching baby crocodile in Australia for distressing social media stunt

Sky News AU

11-07-2025

A social media influencer from Canada has stirred up a storm online after uploading a video in which he grabs a baby crocodile from a creek in Australia and mocks its cries as those of a "little b***h".
Colton Macaulay, 27, hailing from Nova Scotia, has amassed a massive online following under the usernames @kingcoltyy and @coltyy, boasting around 16 million followers across his platforms.
Known for engaging in wildlife stunts and animal-based challenges, Macaulay's latest post has inited a firestorm of controversy.
In the now-deleted clip titled 'Catching crocodiles in Australia', Macaulay is seen reaching into a creek at night and lifting a young freshwater crocodile with his bare hands.
As the animal writhes, he holds it up for the camera by the neck.
'Hey guys, I'm in Australia right now, and we just yoinked a freshwater croc,' he says.
'I don't think he was happy about it because he started making these sounds like a chainsaw. Or maybe that's the sound they make when they decide to cry like a little b***h.'
The crocodile, clearly distressed, is seen with its mouth wide open, letting out a high-pitched shriek as Macaulay grips its neck.
The video, while removed from most of his channels, remains accessible on Facebook and has racked up nearly half a million views, and reactions were far from positive.
'How stupid are you?' one commenter asked.
Another called him an 'idiot', and someone else simply labelled him a 'moron'.
Macaulay's video includes a disclaimer claiming the act was 'performed by a professional'.
In Australia, only authorised individuals with proper permits are legally allowed to handle crocodiles. Permits are managed by different state and territory departments, such as Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, and the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory.
Freshwater crocodiles are protected under Australian law via the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
'A person may commit an offence if they take or move a member of a listed threatened species from in or on a Commonwealth area without approval,' a spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told News.com.au:
The penalties for interfering with crocodiles vary by region.
In the Northern Territory, it can result in a fine of up to $92,500 or five years behind bars.
In Queensland, the figure is up to $26,615, while Western Australia enforces penalties as high as $200,000.
What remains unclear is where the video was filmed or whether Macaulay held any relevant permits.
Legal professionals and conservationists have raised concerns over both the legality and ethics of Macaulay's conduct.
'There is no doubt a plethora of nature conservation laws that would apply to this person,' a lawyer from the Animal Defenders Office, an organisation that focuses on animal protection, told News.com.au.
Experts also warned that these types of interactions pose serious dangers to both humans and animals.
'It can cause injury or death and impact a crocodile's behaviour around humans,' a spokesperson for Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife said.
'Interference can result in the animal needing to be removed from the wild due to altered behaviour and becoming dangerous to the public. Often these animals are destroyed.'
The backlash follows a similar case involving an American influencer who took a baby wombat from its mother last March. That incident sparked international condemnation, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling it an 'outrage'.
In that case influencer Sam Jones claimed in an emotional post that she was 'truly sorry' and had received 'thousands' of threats to her life. She said she fled the scene fearing an attack, insisting she was 'extremely concerned' about the wombat's wellbeing.
However Macaulay has continued to post wildlife-related stunts.
This week, he uploaded a clip showing him handling a stonefish, known to be the most venomous fish in the world. Despite its ability to kill an adult within an hour, Macaulay casually picked it up and attempted to squeeze venom out of it using a thong.
In March, he told his audience that he had caught 40 snakes during a 10-day trip in Australia.
In one instance, he was bitten by an Eastern Small-eyed snake, a species with highly toxic venom. He called it his 'closest brush with death'.
Other videos on his channels show him swimming in crocodile-infested waters.
SkyNews.com.au has reached out to Macaulay for comment.