as small as a world and as large as alone

2:05pm September 20, 2013

denalilobita:

aspidelaps:

oftpffft:

darndangashes:

dudenaw:

WHAT

Pocho, the 5.2 meter (17 feet) long friendly crocodile!

You’ve already met Gustave the killer croc, now it’s time to meet Pocho.

Costa Rican fisherman Chito first met the croc after finding him with a gunshot wound on the banks of the Central American state’s Parismina river 20 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 and later give him aid and treatment.

In the words of Chito, “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. It took years before Chito felt that Pocho had bonded with him enough to get closer to the animal.”

At one point during his recovery, Chito left the croc in a lake near his house but to his amazement Pocho started following him. Later, Chito got the confidence to get closer to him, with first only attempting to splash with him in the river but later they bonded so well that for almost 2 decades the duo performed tricks for the local crowds.

But in October 2011, Pocho, around 50 years old at that time, died of natural causes and a funeral was held for him.

At his funeral, Chito couldn’t held back his tears and said, “Pocho is Pocho, the only one. There is no more Pocho. He will be the only Pocho there ever was.”

there’s … something in my eye …

me

Pochoooo. :(

Oh god I have never seen the funeral photos and that just destroyed me christ tears forever

Chito and Pocho are one of my favorite instances of reptiles and humans, because it is a good story. Not an assumptive one, not one that ends in the inevitable betrayal trope people expect will happen when a human gets cozy with a reptile. Chito respected Pocho. He took his time with him. He listened. Pocho started the process and Chito let him set the pace. Crocodilians are smart as hell and the friendship they formed was as real as it can possibly be - Pocho enjoyed his presence and associated Chito as a good thing on his own, instead of just a bringer of good things, and Chito loved Pocho.

This is a wild animal that made a decision to stay with a person of its own free will. It grew up in the wild, it thrived there. This is a reptile big enough to kill and devour a grown man many times over. Pocho was incredible not only because he recovered, but because he learned that Chito was no threat, and that he was a bringer of positive things. So when he was let go - and something this article doesn’t mention is that this occured many times - he didn’t stay gone. He knew what he liked.

This crocodile learned on his own to not to be afraid, and then it tamed a fearful human and they became the best of friends. I don’t know if people really understand how incredible that is or what it says about these creatures and their capabilities. I’m really sorry for Chito. There never really will be another Pocho. But at least Pocho did not die alone and unloved like his friend had feared when they met.

noooo nooooo too cuteeee helpppp

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