How celeb crocodile wrangler Matt Wright went from Netflix stardom to a Darwin courthouse in a matter of weeks

Australians love a rough-and-tumble outback hero, however maybe not as a lot as the remainder of the world, whose first introduction to the continent got here by way of Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee or the cheeky Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.

For proof, look no additional than Tourism Australia adverts in a long time since or Irwin’s posthumous star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame.

After Irwin’s demise and Hogan’s star light, the world has been ready for Australia’s subsequent large outback export.

Enter Matt Wright: a charismatic real-life crocodile wrangler, wildlife relocator, tourism operator and helicopter pilot from Australia’s distant Prime Finish.

When a video of Wright snagging considered one of Australia’s largest crocodiles aired on the native nightly information greater than a decade in the past, his standing as the following large Australian factor was all however set.

It did not take lengthy for Nationwide Geographic to announce a sequence that may comply with him and his two mates, Willow and Jono, as they wrangled crocs in opposition to a backdrop of the Northern Territory’s glittering waterholes and purple sand plains.

Flash ahead and as 2022 started, Wright — by then recognized globally because the Outback Wrangler — had 4 seasons of successful present underneath his belt and a cope with the 9 Community and Netflix for an additional.

“The one individual to match me to is just about Steve Irwin and Bear Grylls,” Wright reportedly stated throughout an American interview forward of the worldwide launch of his second sequence, Massive Croc Territory.

The brand new present follows an analogous format to his earlier sequence. The cameras comply with Wright and his workforce as they discover and lure downside crocs, wrap their snouts in gaffer tape, and relocate them someplace they’re much less more likely to get in the way in which.

The repetition is punctuated by dramatic mishaps, blokey banter, and liberal use of Aussie slang (translated on-screen for a global viewers).

Inside two weeks of the present’s Netflix launch in October, it had reached the streaming platform’s record of high 10 TV reveals globally and attracted a league of passionate worldwide followers.

However by the top of November — simply over six weeks because the present’s Netflix debut — the 43-year-old was making headlines for very completely different causes.

On Monday, NT Police introduced they have been issuing a warrant for his arrest following a helicopter crash that killed his co-star, fellow crocodile wrangler and finest mate Chris “Willow” Wilson earlier this yr.

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The next day he arrived at Darwin Airport, from Queensland the place he had been residing, surrounded by males who jostled with a scrum of ready reporters.

Hours later, he was charged with a slew of offences referring to the crash, together with trying to pervert the course of justice and destruction of proof, earlier than being launched on bail.

Now, there are widespread media stories that Wilson’s widow has requested Netflix to tug the sequence from its platform whereas the matter is earlier than the courts.

Wright was not on board the chopper when it got here down in a distant space of the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land, and thru his lawyer has strenuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to the incident.

Wright’s rise to the highest

Wright’s curiosity in wildlife was sparked at a younger age.

He was born in South Australia and spent a few of his early years in far north Queensland and Papua New Guinea.

In childhood, he would usually catch snakes and spiders and preserve them in his bed room, in keeping with an interview with The Advertiser.

“It simply appeared to develop and develop, and at school holidays with my mate Jono, we might be out catching brown snakes and scorpions and bringing them house,” he stated.

As an grownup, Wright made his approach by way of an extended record of eclectic jobs, in keeping with his web site, dabbling in horse wrangling and crocodile egg accumulating earlier than specializing in relocating wild animals.

In a promotional interview, Wright stated his curiosity in tv began whereas he was working as a mustering pilot in Canada within the early 2000s.

However it will be one other few years earlier than his large break.

“I caught considered one of Australia’s largest crocs and it ended up on Sunday evening Channel 7,” he stated.

Earlier this yr, Wright advised Fox Information that whereas he enjoys the comparisons to Irwin — who he credit with paving the way in which for his personal profession — he by no means got down to be the following Crocodile Hunter.

He additionally by no means deliberate on turning into well-known. 

“I did not got down to do TV. I got down to make a profession,” he advised News Corp in 2017. “Thankfully what I’ve finished in that profession is sort of attention-grabbing for the remainder of the world to see.”

At the moment, Wright has over half one million followers on Instagram. Earlier this yr, the nationwide broadsheet’s youth publication, The Oz, ranked him thirty fifth of their Influence Index — a listing of Australia’s high 100 most influential social media creators.

The NT Authorities put up $250,000 in manufacturing funding for the creation of Wild Croc Territory, describing Wright as “one of many true success tales out of the Northern Territory” and a “world export”.

“We’re extremely happy with their work in sharing our Territory with 204 million Netflix viewers world wide,” the territory’s minister for business Nicole Manison stated in an announcement final yr.

And share the territory it does. The sequence is bursting with footage of vivid sunsets, sprawling outback vistas, crocs thrashing in sluggish movement, and glimpses of outback waterholes normally solely accessible by helicopter.

And there for practically each second is Chris Wilson, affectionately generally known as “Willow”.

The crash and the aftermath

Simply earlier than the ultimate credit roll on Massive Croc Territory, an on-screen message tells viewers of Wilson’s demise “just a few weeks after the conclusion of filming”. 

The precise circumstances of the crash, what occurred in its aftermath and the alleged particulars of Wright’s involvement are nonetheless not clear.

What we all know is in late February, Wilson was out on a job accumulating crocodile eggs — a harmful however widespread follow undertaken to help conservation, breeding and wild croc inhabitants management.

As a part of the mission, he was hanging metres under the chopper in a “sling” — a tool that permits entry to the nests from above.

Two different helicopters have been additionally out accumulating eggs and raised the alarm after they seen the third crew had not been speaking by way of radio.

The crash website was found in a paperbark swamp between Goulburn Islands and Maningrida, about 500 kilometres east of Darwin.

Wilson, 34, was discovered about 40 metres from the crash website and fatally injured, whereas the helicopter’s pilot Sebastian Robinson was airlifted from the scene with critical accidents.

Due to the distant location, it took a number of hours for the primary law enforcement officials to reach on the website by boat.

The Australian Transport Security Bureau instantly launched an investigation, releasing their preliminary report in April. After inspecting the helicopter, they concluded the engine had stopped earlier than the plane hit the bottom however discovered no defects that may have induced the engine to fail.

Six months later, detectives dropped a bombshell. 

Now former senior Northern Territory police officer, Neil Mellon, was arrested as he arrived at work in relation to the crash. He was charged with dozens of offences, together with perverting the course of justice and destruction of proof.

The next month, native bush pilot Michael Burbidge was additionally arrested and charged with 4 offences, together with trying to pervert the course of justice and destroying proof. Each have confronted court docket, however neither has entered pleas but.

Lastly, this week, Wright was charged with trying to pervert the course of justice, destruction of proof, fabricating proof, interfering with witnesses and illegal entry — all costs which he strenuously denies. 

As a part of his bail circumstances, he’s barred from contacting 50 folks, together with Mellon, Burbidge, and Wilson’s spouse, Danielle.

The Outback Wrangler out on bail

After his demise, Wilson was remembered as a real outback icon — a larger-than-life character who by no means let something get in his approach. 

The memorial service held at Darwin’s waterfront convention centre was the biggest the town had seen in a while. 

Earlier than the service, paragliders descended from the sky with flags representing Wilson’s two nice loves: the territory and his household.

“Christopher was a loveable, larger-than-life, loud, generally irritating, stunning, glowing, blue-eyed human being, we’ll all the time miss him,” his father, Robert Wilson, advised the service.

A tribute included within the closing episode of Massive Croc Territory devoted the sequence to Wilson, who it stated “was tragically killed whereas working in a distant a part of his beloved Northern Territory”.

Asserting the brand new present on his Instagram, Wright additionally stated it will be “devoted and in reminiscence of my finest mate Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson”. 

However earlier this week, it was reported that Danielle Wilson had written to Netflix requesting the sequence be taken down on account of the costs laid in opposition to Wright — who can be a co-executive producer on the present — and stating that she had “largely been saved at the hours of darkness” about this system since her husband’s demise. 

Netflix has thus far refused to touch upon the matter and it’s unknown whether or not the present will likely be renewed for a second season.

The saga has despatched shock waves by way of the territory, the place Wright can be a serious participant within the tourism business. Alongside his spouse, Kaia, who additionally options within the sequence, he operates a luxurious retreat on the distant Tiwi Islands — billed as “residing off the grid in an expensive approach” — and the Prime Finish Safari Camp close to Darwin.

The Northern Territory’s crocodile business, of which Wright is part by way of his tourism ventures and crocodile egg harvesting, has been valued at more than $100 million.

Wright’s workforce reportedly collect about 40,000 eggs each year for 4 farms, which he has described as “probably the most sustainable strategy to handle the inhabitants”. 

In a statement earlier this week, Wright’s spokesperson described the crash as a “tragic accident that took the lifetime of a detailed mate”. 

“His speedy concern following the accident was the situation of the 2 workforce members on board on the time,” it learn. “The following precedence was making certain the opposite helicopters and workforce members on the website weren’t in danger and that the placement was secure.”

The matter is predicted to return to court docket in January, and outdoors the listening to in Darwin this week Wright solely had two phrases for reporters: “Going house”.