"Change the law!": Bob Irwin's campaign against social media “idiots"
Bob Irwin is calling for the Queensland government to close a legal loophole that allows social media users to enter crocodile habitats for content.
The proposed changes would establish an offence for individuals who recklessly use a crocodile habitat, along with penalties for people who disturb crocodiles to make online content.
Mr Irwin, father of the late Steve Irwin, has asked the Environmental Defenders Office to address the issue, calling for them to draw up amendments to the Nature Conservation Act.
He said the online content creators were only endangering themselves and the crocs by entering the habitats. These careless individuals are filming content purely for the croc factor.
"The government says idiots like these are not breaking any laws. Well, I say, change the law!" He said in a statement. Well, if the snap fits...
Over 40 traditional owners, conservationists, scientists, business owners and community members have backed Mr Irwin’s proposed changes.
In February 2023, a 4.2 metre croc was shot dead by wildlife officers after it attacked a man and ate a dog in far north Queensland.
The man was swimming at Bloomfield River which is a well-known crocodile habitat.
Traditional owner Kathleen Walker said the actions of reckless people are giving the otherwise safe communities a bad reputation.
"We support the Environmental Defenders Office's recommendations in the name of creating greater protection for our totem animal, the saltwater crocodile, when human error is involved," she said.
"We would like to see a no-tolerance approach to members of the public who take the risk in crocodile territory and for greater mitigation measures to be legislated.”
These kinds of individuals are in de-Nile if they believe the scaly predators won’t bite.
The notorious “crocodile hunter” Steve Irwin once said, “Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you.” So, these croc-tent creators must leave it to the professionals, no matter how jaw-some the videos turn out to be.
Image credit: Getty