Owning a five-meter-long, 500-kilogram crocodile, which is among the most
hazardous animals anyone has ever owned, cannot be compared to anything.
It's hard to believe, but Gilberto Shedden of Costa Rica had a large,
menacing-looking crocodile named Pocho, and he had been swimming with it in
the river every day for more than twenty years.
Shedden, a fisherman, tour guide, and biologist from Siquirres in the Limon
Province of Costa Rica, discovered Pocho just as it was about to perish on
the banks of the nearby Reventazon River. The crocodile was shot in the left
eye, maybe by a farmer upset that the beast was taking advantage of his herd
of cows.
Shedden carried the crocodile home on his boat since he didn't want to
leave him there. He made the decision to restore the crocodile's
health.
Shedden put a lot of effort into the crocodile, feeding him 30 kg of fish
and hen every week. He slept with him at night as well. He uses his mouth
instead of his teeth to chew food to encourage the crocodile to eat, giving
it hugs and kisses in the process. Shedden claimed that the crocodile needed
his affection more than food to be well again.
Shedden gave the crocodile the name Pocho. Since crocodiles are considered
wild creatures, Sheddan need legal permission from Costa Rican authorities
to legally raise Pocho. He kept the crocodile hidden till then in a secret
pond in a nearby woodland.
When Pocho was once again healthy, he was released into a nearby river, but
when Sheddan awoke the following morning, he discovered the crocodile
resting on his patio.
At that time, Sheddan made the decision to keep the crocodile in the lake
next to his house, and he was regarded as a member of his family. They spoke
and interacted with one another for twenty years during which time they also
played. Even its own name might elicit a response from the crocodile.
At Finca Las Tilapias in Costa Rica, they even started hosting a weekly
replacement traveler from all over the world in a man-made lake. Prior to
Pocho's passing, both were also captured by South African filmmaker Roger
Horrocks for the documentary "The Man That Swims With Crocodiles."
He said that since numerous owners of reptile family pets have been struck
by their pets, the gunshot wound to the poncho's head may have affected the
crocodile's cognition and altered the animal's typical behavior.
Thus, in his opinion, Sheddan's life was at danger while he was with Pocho.
Sheddan, however, strongly disagrees with it, claiming that after 23 years
of caring for one another, it was not likely to happen even if it had just
been 2 or 3 years.
Pocho passed away naturally outside Shedden's home, and the crocodile also
had a public funeral. Sheddan is now battling a new crocodile by the name of
Pocho II.
Even though he is attempting to forge the same kind of bond with this
crocodile as he did with the first Pocho, long-term success with it appears
to be rather speculative. Sheddan received Pocho as a present, and they
enjoyed a wonderful working relationship.
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animals