EXCLUSIVE: Wild Croc Territory‘s leading star Matt Wright has spoken to Reality Titbit on losing his righthand man Christopher “Willow” Wilson and revealed that life has not been the same without him there to “bring the light.”
The Netflix show documents the brave reality of Matt’s daily life, which follows him and his fearless team of crocodile wranglers who catch and relocate some of the world’s most ferocious reptiles in Australia’s wild Outback.
With his wife Kaia and son Banjo, chopper pilot Matt calls the Northern Territory home. With over 150,000 saltwater crocodiles there, it’s not an easy job, and when things go bad, Matt needs a team he can trust with his life.
Matt speaks directly with Reality Titbit about his job, wife Kaia, and his Wild Croc Territory co-star, Christopher “Willow” Wilson.
Wild Croc Territory’s Matt Wright
Matt Wright is best known for starring in four seasons of Outback Wrangler on National Geographic. He also runs three businesses: Top End Safari Camp, Tiwi Island Retreat, and Darwin Adventure Boats.
Having worked on shows for the last 10 years, cameras are nothing new to Matt. However, he stays extremely grateful. Since his new show Wild Croc Territory came out on Netflix, the “coverage and support has blown him away.”
Admitting that his job as a crocodile rescuer “tires him out a lot,” he said he always loved wildlife as a kid and has always been adventurous and free-spirited. Following his dream and heart, he never said no to a challenge, and said:
I worked on a lot of jobs, I still do normal jobs, and run a lot of tourism experiences. I can be a mechanic one day, boat driver the next day, and doing the laundry the next. I was a plumber, done carpentry, worked with horses.
With a lot of projects coming up, Matt now wants to “get people to run his businesses rather than him being in the business himself.” He also hinted that he will “work on” a Wild Croc Territory season 2 coming out!
Meet his wife Kaia and children
Matt met his now-wife Kaia in 2014 on Rottnest Island in Australia. They have a toddler son called Banjo together, who is two years old, while Kaia is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child.
The Wild Croc Territory star got down on one knee to Kaia in November 2016, before they officially tied the knot a year later, at Empire Spa Retreat in Western Australia. Matt revealed she “gets thrown in the deep end” while catching crocs.
It’s great, it’s a whole family affair. We still go out, the boys and I, we still catch the big crocs. Kaia gets thrown in the deep end, and sometimes a croc catches us off guard so she has to jump in and help me.
Matt added that he wants to “spend as much time with his family” while his children are young, and says that the biggest problem he has is time. He said he is currently “trying to structure their lives” while trying to run a business.
He pays tribute to ‘righthand man’ Willow
Matt has paid tribute to his Wild Croc Territory co-star Christopher “Willow” Wilson, who was killed when traveling in a helicopter before it crashed in West Arnhem Land in February.
He told Reality Titbit that Willow was “a bloke that made things happen”, describing him as his righthand man. Admitting that life has not been the same without him, Matt added:
You sort of put on a brave face knowing that your mate won’t be there again. He’s one in a million, has your back 100 per cent, and always brings joy to a rubbish situation. I’d be the cranky one and he’d bring the light.
Matt added that the death of his friend, who starred on Outback Wrangler and a father of two, was “absolutely devastating.” Police recently sent out an appeal for anyone in the helicopter crash to come forward.
“We’re particularly interested in anyone who may have taken photos or videos of, or in this aircraft, to come forward and provide these images to police,” Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Corey Borton said, ABC reports.
Anyone with information, images, or videos is urged to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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