A brutally honest story of fractured family, drug addiction, violence ... and redemption
It was Father's Day. Damian Duffy was seven months old when his parents left him to go to a motorcycle swap meet. His dad was a loyal member of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club. His mum was a feisty wild woman.There, after a confrontation between the Comancheros and the Bandidos, seven people were dead. Both of Damian's parents were arrested.
With his dad jailed for murder and his mum spiralling into drug addiction, the Milperra Massacre changed everything for Damian. From then on, he was on a tightrope between his absent mum and violent ex-con dad. When old enough, he joined the army to pull his life together, but immaturity and bullying turned this into a nightmare. At eighteen, his dad gave him methamphetamine. Addiction snared him. He seemed doomed to follow in his parents' footsteps - absent, broken, angry, violent, unlovable.

Nature saved Damian Duffy. As a kid, he'd found solace in the bush. It was an escape from his chaotic and unstable home life. Out in nature, he wasn't judged or picked on. As an adult, this broken man developed a kinship with crocodiles. With this, he found a way to build a life of purpose. He began to recognise the patterns he had developed and the toxic masculinity he was copying. He stopped using meth and worked on managing his anger.
Today, Damian 'Wild Man' Duffy is a nature guide and wildlife warrior. He knows first-hand that kindness can change a life. Called both 'Australia's Antidote to Andrew Tate' and 'The Next Steve Irwin', Damian sees himself only as 'The First Wildman'. His story is a source of hope for anyone who has been where he once was ... lost.