Survival expert Bear Grylls has come under fire after a contestant on his reality show stabbed and killed an endangered crocodile.

The Island With Bear Grylls challenges a group of celebrities to survive two weeks on a remote island.

During the episode in question, former Made in Chelsea reality television personality Ollie Locke jumps on the back of the American crocodile, endangered in the remote Pacific Islands, and stabs it in the neck.

“This was a genuine and regrettable error,” a Channel 4 spokesman told the Independent.

This is certainly not the first time that Grylls has been criticised for the gruesome tactics of himself and contestants.

It’s also not the first time a crocodile has been killed on one of his shows.

Grylls teaches a US footballer to kill a croc  (graphic):

‘We didn’t realise it was endangered’

The Island With Bear Grylls has been running for four seasons, this latest one being the first to include celebrities.

The group mainly comprises B-list British reality television names and socialites, including Locke, Lydia Bright of The Only Way is Essex and Karen Danczuk, who is described simply as a “selfie queen”.

The show aims to raise money for British TV station Channel 4’s annual charity event, Stand Up For Cancer.

But even raising money for a good cause wasn’t enough to convince Alan Knight of International Animals Rescue, who told The Sun: “I feel it is totally unacceptable to kill or abuse animals for entertainment.”

Mr Knight said he doubted Locke had ended the animal’s life humanely.

Before the news of the animal’s conservation status emerged, a spokesperson for British TV station Channel 4 told the paper killing animals was all part of the deal.

“Those on the island all received training on how to kill animals humanely and this was utilised properly in each instance.”

That stance changed once the news came out.

“Prior to filming, experts were consulted to ascertain species on both islands and the American crocodile was not known to be in the area or on the island.

“The relevant national environment agency are aware of the incident and have granted a licence to replace the animal which has now been done.”

Grisly history for Grylls

Bear Grylls has made his name out of doing things that would make most people shudder, all in the name of ‘survival’.

After climbing Mount Everest at the age of 23 – one of the youngest people to have achieved the feat at that time – Grylls became the UK’s youngest ever ‘Chief Scout’.

His most successful TV show to date, Man Vs. Wild, featured Grylls being dropped into various inhospitable locations around the world and doing whatever he could (and more) to survive.

This included drinking his own urine and yak blood, eating elephant poo and climbing inside a dead camel for warmth.

More recently, Grylls has hosted Running Wild With Bear Grylls, taking celebrities such as Kate Winslet, Zac Efron and even President Barack Obama on a two-day survival adventure.