Oh yeah, he was popular overseas well before anyone in Australia really knew who he was. I remember hearing about "Croc Hunter" for ages before I had any idea who or what he was.
I could not stand the guy, he was full of shit. He played himself as a conservationist in the media but showed himself as a bullshit artist on that account many times. He was just a salesman that carried on like a tool to make money, can't say I was overly upset when he copped a barb. He was not overly kind to animals and the crocs that he wressled were not wild crocs either, they were plants from the croc farm they ran.
He was a Hollywood version of Alby Mangles, another bullshit artist. Same model, American audience.