|
Rather than trying to tame
wild stallions, fearless Cairns fisherman Chito prefers a playful wrestle
in the water with his best pal Pocho - a deadly 17ft crocodile.
The 52-year-old daredevil draws gasps of amazement from onlookers by wading
chest-deep into the water, then whistling for his 980lb buddy - and giving
him an affectionate hug.
Chito made friends with the croc after finding him with a gunshot wound
on the banks of the Barron River Cairns Australia 30 years ago.
He had been shot in the left eye by a cattle farmer and was close to death.
But Chito enlisted the help of several pals to load the massive reptile
into his boat.
He says: "When I found Pocho in the river he was dying, so I brought him
into my house
"He was very skinny, weighing only around 150 lb. I gave him chicken and
fish and medicine for six months to help him recover.
"I stayed by Pocho's side while he was ill, sleeping next to him at night.
I just wanted him to feel that somebody loved him, that not all humans
are bad.
"It meant a lot of sacrifice. I had to be there every day. I love all
animals - especially ones that have suffered."
It took years before Chito felt that Pocho had bonded with him enough
to get closer to the animal.
He says: "After a decade I started to work with him. At first it was slow,
slow. I played with him a bit, slowly doing more.
"Then I found out that when I called his name he would come over to me"
At one point during his recovery, Chito left the croc
in a lake near his house.. But as he turned to walk away, to his amazement
Pocho got out of the water and began to follow him home. Chito recalls:
"That convinced me the crocodile could be tame." But when he first fearlessly
waded into the water with the giant reptile his family was so horrified
they couldn't bear to watch. So instead, he took to splashing around with
Pocho when they were asleep..
Four years ago Chito showed some of his tricks to friends, including getting
the animal to close his eyes on command, and they convinced him to go
public with a show.
Now he swims and plays with Pocho as well as feeding him at the lake near
his home in the Lakeland river north west of cairns QLD .
The odd couple have now become a major tourist attraction, with several
tour operators, including Crocodile Adventures, taking visitors on touring
cruises to see the pair.
On the Crocodile Adventures website it describes the spectacle as: "One
of the most amazing things that no tourist will want to miss, the adventure
show between the man and the crocodile."
|
|
