Anger erupts after Canadian tourist's 'distressing' stunt with juvenile crocodile
The incident, posted online by Colton Macaulay, shows the social media influencer standing topless as he pulls a small freshwater crocodile from the water with his bare hands.
"Hey guys, I'm in Australia right now and we just yoinked a freshwater croc," he says in the video, which has since been taken down. The crocodile is seen thrashing about as it's pulled from the water. He then holds the reptile to the camera, keeping it in place by holding it by the neck.
"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."
While it's unclear if the video was taken in Queensland, Northern Territory or northern Western Australia, one conservationist told Yahoo News he is calling on all levels of government to "step up" and take action on the issue.
Matt Cornish, co-founder of Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROC), is among those to criticise the influencer's dangerous actions and described the vision as "disgusting" and "deplorable".
"If we have someone, regardless of which country they are from, abusing our native wildlife, [authorities] need to step up and make an example of them," he told Yahoo News.
The influencer claimed in his footage to be a "professional", however, Matt argues that without the correct permits, he is "nothing more than a social media idiot".
Permits can be granted in Queensland and the Northern Territory to handle crocodiles in the wild, but they are rarely given out and typically restricted to zoos and government officials when required for research or public safety reasons.
"Self-proclaimed professionals have no idea what they are doing, and they are obviously breaking the law by handling native wildlife without the right permits," he said.
"We need all levels of government to step up and take control of the situation, it's continuing, and we need to stamp down on it," he said, referencing a similar incident earlier this year where an American tourist shared a video of herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother.
Another crocodile advocate Paul Bowen, who runs the emerging Croc Conscious social media accounts, warned that the juvenile crocodile seen in the video would have been 'very stressed' by the encounter, leading to a build-up of lactic acid, which in extreme scenarios can be deadly.
The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation was not able to confirm or deny to Yahoo News if Macaulay has a permit in the state.
A spokesperson told Yahoo News that there is a maximum penalty of $6,674 for disturbing dangerous animals in the wild.
"People should keep a safe distance away from native animals they see in the wild," the spokesperson said. "Not only is this dangerous for the person, interacting with wild animals can habituate them."
Without an exact location for the incident, an investigation cannot be launched. Macaulay now appears to be back in Canada.
🐍 Influencers facing $464,400 fines for copying Steve Irwin photo 'trend'
🐊 Disturbing video of wild crocodile stunt prompts warning
📸 Australia faces 'big problem' as US tourist who snatched baby wombat flees
Ben Pearson, Country Director at World Animal Protection Australia said told Yahoo News "this is cruelty for the sake of content".
"Aussies are quite rightly outraged by this video," he said, describing the influencer's actions as "unacceptable".
"Crocodiles are not a photo prop or plaything, and they should be treated with respect," he said.
It's not the first time a tourist has mishandled a native animal and shared it online. Earlier this year, American Sam Jones faced fierce criticism for taking a baby wombat away from its mother along a country road.
The 34-second clip, which was quickly deleted, saw the woman gleefully running back to her car holding the animal. 'Just caught a baby wombat,' her laughing male Australian colleague can be heard saying from behind the camera. 'Look at the mother, chasing after her.'
But the incident exposed a "big problem" when it comes to enforcing the law when influencers exploit the nation's wildlife for clicks and likes.
"There aren't enough people on the ground to be able to deal with the amount of incidents that are coming forward now with the rise of social media," managing lawyer from Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) Kirstiana Ward told Yahoo News at the time.
In Australia, the federal government is only responsible for prosecuting companies or people that 'significantly' harm threatened species.
Otherwise, enforcing wildlife laws is left up to the states and territories. So if it's unclear where an influencer shot their video, even if they clearly committed an offence, a prosecution is rarely possible.
Yahoo News has contacted Colton Macaulay for comment.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Council warns residents over common FOGO bin mistake that 'poses a safety risk'
As food and garden organics (FOGO) bins continue to be distributed to residents across the country, one council gearing up for its own rollout is answering a commonly asked question about the bins. And the answer is a resounding no. Burnie City Council in Tasmania will begin handing out FOGO bins next month, and in preparation the council's Director of Operations, Damien Aherne, is warning residents not to put roadkill into their FOGO bins. Mayor Teeny Brumby told Yahoo News the somewhat surprising question has been asked time and time again by residents. "In the delivery of the FOGO service across the NW Region of Tasmania in 2024, councils... had the question many times about whether the FOGO bin could be used to collect roadkill," Brumby explained. Roadkill is common in Tasmania. In fact, the state has even been referred to as the 'roadkill capital of the world' as hundreds of thousands of animals are struck and killed on the roads every year. The state experiences a high level of roadkill for various reasons, including the large number of native wildlife populations, their nocturnal behaviour as well as general road design and conditions. Why can't I put roadkill into my FOGO bin? Brumby told Yahoo that placing roadkill into FOGO bins poses biosecurity concerns as the disposal and composting process involves some workers physically handling the waste, and therefore being exposed to decaying animals. "The practical consideration is that the material from the bins is sorted both by hand and machine, and handling dead animals is both a health hazard, as well as a psychological risk to workers in the facility," he said. "It poses a safety risk to them. Simply put, roadkill is not a 'Food Organic'. "Native animals may be infested with parasites or disease, and data is limited on how the composting processes neutralise the risk," he said. 👀 Man called out for little-known rubbish bin mistake most of us make 😟 Council's bin 'shaming' move leaves 'entire street offended' 💛 Worst state at using yellow bins revealed FOGO rollout continues to divide Australians Tasmania's adoption of FOGO bins is occurring later than other states and territories on the mainland, with millions of Australians already living with the waste removal system for over a year now. However it's been a mixed bag with how residents have embraced the change. While some have enjoyed it, others have openly admitted to simply using their FOGO countertop bin as a doorstop instead of waste. New South Wales has pledged to mandate FOGO in the state by 2030, and councils there are rushing to jump on the scheme. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
E&E News
11 hours ago
- E&E News
Zebra mussel infestation grows in the Colorado River Basin
When state wildlife officials first found signs of invasive zebra mussels in a reservoir in western Colorado several years ago, they took steps to halt an infestation and try to prevent their spread into the Colorado River: partially drain the lake and deploy a pesticide that targets mollusks. It failed. Even after Colorado Parks and Wildlife intensified its efforts — more pesticide and a complete closure of the lake in summer 2024 — monitoring still turned up mussel veligers, or the larval stage of the species visible only under a microscope. Advertisement As it turns out, Colorado wildlife officials were battling an even bigger issue: a privately owned body of water in Eagle County that had become home to a well-established population of adult zebra mussels and is believed to be the source of the infestation.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rare upland landscapes on English-Welsh border protected with expanded reserve
More than a thousand hectares of rare uplands have been secured for wildlife, as a nature reserve on the English-Welsh border expands to triple its original size. The new Stiperstones Landscape national nature reserve will conserve 1,562 hectares (3,900 acres) of heathland, ancient woodland, bogs and acidic grasslands linked by unique geology, safeguarding an area more than three times the size of the original Stiperstones reserve. Government agency Natural England said the new reserve combined existing protected sites with more than 1,100 hectares of additional land managed by partner organisations to link up habitats and protect rare plants and threatened wildlife such as the bilberry bumblebee. It will capture carbon, manage flood risk and improve water quality, and preserve ancient quartzite tors, where Wild Edric and his fairy queen Godda of Saxon legend are said to still gallop whenever England faces peril, Natural England said. The new reserve forms part of the 'King's Series of National Nature Reserves', created to mark Charles's lifelong support for the natural environment, with 25 new protected areas planned by 2028. Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said: 'Enhancing and expanding our nature-rich landscapes is one of the most critical actions we must take to achieve our stretching environmental targets; this landmark moment for nature recovery is the next step on that path. 'Collaboration across this landscape will protect the upland heath and ancient woodland conserving rare species while also creating more opportunities for local people to experience the joy of nature first hand.' Forestry England, The Linley Estate, Shropshire County Council, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Middle Marches Community Land Trust and Natural England have joined forces to deliver the new reserve. Dr Richard Keymer, Middle Marches Community Land Trust chairman, said: 'Middle Marches Community Land Trust is delighted that the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve is to be extended and will include two areas of land that we own, Minsterley Meadows and Norbury Hill. 'Larger areas of land managed for nature will make them more resilient in the face of a changing climate,' he said.
