An American influencer is in hot water after he wrestled with and captured wild crocodiles in Australia.

An American influencer is in hot water after he wrestled with and captured wild crocodiles in Australia and posted videos of it online, according to environmental officials.

Mike Holston, who goes by “The Real Tarzann” online, posted several videos of himself shirtless, jumping on the backs of, wrestling with and grabbing at both salt and freshwater crocodiles. In at least one post, he can be seen dragging a saltwater crocodile out of the water and holding it up to the camera with his hands wrapped around its neck.

While the videos, which Holston claims are “educational,” have amassed millions of views, comments beneath them were not overwhelmingly supportive, with many calling his behavior “cruel” and “disrespectful.”

“So unnecessary and disrespectful. I had you and your intentions towards living creatures all wrong. Time to unfollow,” said one Instagram commentator, while another accused Holston of exploiting wildlife for content. “This is not courage, it’s ego disguised as bravery. A crocodile is not an object for entertainment, but a living being that carries millions of years of evolution within it. To stress and endanger such a creature for the sake of human vanity is not education—it’s exploitation,” the commentator said.

Holston did immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment, but in replies to comments beneath his posts, said that the crocs were “released after a few close looks and photos were taken” and that he did not encourage others to replicate his actions.

Influencer faces thousands in fines, local authorities investigate

According to the Australian Museum, both salt and freshwater crocodiles are protected species, and officials from the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) are now investigating the incident, reported CBS and BBC. USA TODAY reached out to the department on Sept. 11, but has not received a response.

“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, per NBC and CBS. “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.”

Fines for interfering with saltwater crocodiles in Queensland can be up to $27,539 AUD or roughly $18,400 USD, according to the Queensland government. On-the-spot fines for simply “remaining in close proximity to a crocodile on land” can start at $806 AUD (approximately $636 USD) and add up to $16,690 AUD (approximately $11,000 USD).

Holston attracted not just the attention of the government - an Irwin even came for him in a statement released to local media. Bob Irwin, the father of the late Steve Irwin, lambasted the influencer in a comment to news.com.au, saying, “People visiting our country need to respect our wildlife, or they need to be booted out the door,” and he admonished those who try to compare Holston to his son.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US influencer under investigation for crocodile wrestling videos in Australia

Reporting by Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect