The Wyld Jungle: An Illegal Roadside Zoo Where Animals Are Harassed for Viral Content
Run by social media influencer Michael Holston (known as “The Real Tarzann”), The Wyld Jungle—an unlicensed roadside zoo in Temecula, California—appears to be nothing more than a nefarious, clout-driven scheme built on harassing animals for viral content. It seems Holston will do anything for views—because recently, he’s been facing online backlash for attempting to wrestle and restrain wild crocodiles in Australia.
PETA Snaps Back at “The Real Tarzann” With a Stunt He Won’t Forget
No one’s buying the pathetic excuse that harassing animals in their natural habitats has anything to do with “education”—it’s just plain cruel. And since Holston garners attention by tormenting crocodiles, we’re giving him a taste of his own medicine—with costumes that flip the script and put him in the hot seat.
Ahead of Halloween, the PETA Shop is stocked with “Crocodile’s Revenge” costumes—which come complete with a tacky chain necklace, a hat that reads, “Bad Influencer,” and a plush crocodile who bites back—to warn Holston to leave animals alone. Crocodiles are sensitive animals who protect their nests and their families—they are not video props.
The Wyld Jungle: An Illegal, Dangerous, and Cruel Operation
The Wyld Jungle has historically exhibited animals—including zebras, camels, ostriches, a water buffalo, a Brahman bull, a greater rhea, emus, and others—and offering dangerous direct encounters with wildlife without a federal exhibitor’s license.
According to Holston, at least four employees have been injured by ostriches at The Wyld Jungle, including the facility’s security guard, who became cornered in an enclosure and was nearly hospitalized after an ostrich kicked him and sliced through his pants. Several employees were reportedly left with bruises after being bitten by an alpaca.
The Partners in Crime Behind This Cesspool of Suffering
The chief of the scummy facility, Holston (aka “The Real Tarzann”), has admitted that he has no meaningful experience working with the regulated species he exhibits at The Wyld Jungle—he’s even asked his followers how to handle certain situations—but he does have a history of violating state wildlife laws and ties to the notorious Tiger King villain Bhagavan “Doc” Antle.
In a depraved attempt to boost his platform, Holston uses animals as props for content, regularly provoking them and engaging them in reckless, hazardous stunts. He often purposefully prompts the animals to respond aggressively, putting himself, his employees, the public, and the animals at risk.
In 2018, Holston was charged with nearly a dozen violations of Florida’s wildlife laws for unlawful possession, sale, and transport of animals. One year later, he was arrested and charged with assaulting two individuals from the Zoological Wildlife Foundation, who were picking up a lion from a compound owned by “Doc” Antle in Miami—where Holston was living at the time. While all these charges were eventually dropped as part of a pre-trial diversion program, Holston’s history of violating state wildlife law makes him ineligible to hold a federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) exhibitor’s license.
In 2022, Holston partnered with Dan Fleyshman, a social media investor, to build The Wyld Jungle on Fleyshman’s 26-acre ranch in Temecula. The roadside zoo has been operating in violation of Riverside County’s zoning laws.
PETA’s Work to Shut The Wyld Jungle Down
PETA has submitted four complaints to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reporting The Wyld Jungle’s apparent unlawful activity, yet Holston and Fleyshman continue to exhibit animals without a license.
In March 2024, PETA submitted a formal complaint requesting that Riverside County take more aggressive action against The Wyld Jungle, which was operating in violation of the county’s zoning laws. Then, in April 2024, Riverside County issued the facility a cease-and-desist order for conducting a number of unlawful activities at the property. However, Holston continued to openly violate the cease-and-desist order. PETA submitted several complaints alerting the County to these violations.
In September 2024, Riverside County filed a lawsuit against the property owner, Black Site Ranch (an operation owned by Holston’s business partner). In April 2025, the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside issued a final default judgment in favor of Riverside County. Black Site Ranch was assessed $179,364.34 in civil penalties for its violations.
Here’s How You Can Help Animals Suffering at Roadside Zoos Like The Wyld Jungle
The Wyld Jungle is just one of many roadside hellholes that profit from the exploitation of living, feeling animals. Animals trapped at roadside zoos often languish in small enclosures, where they pace back and forth from psychological distress. As a result of their miserable confinement, animals can become aggressive, causing them to injure themselves, other animals, employees, or visitors. Please stay far away from roadside zoos and other cruel exhibits:
