IF you thought the legend of the horse whisperer was impressive,
here ' s an animal tale with even more bite.Rather than trying to
tame wild stallions, fearless Costa Rican 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. Crazy Chito
says: "Pocho is my best friend. This is a very dangerous routine but
we have a good relationship. He will look me in the eye and not attack
me. "It is too dangerous for anyone else to come in the water. It is only
ever the two of us." Chito made friends with 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. 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 150lb 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 lowland tropical town of Sarapiqui
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 cruise ship passenger will want to miss,
the adventure show between the man and the crocodile."
American crocodiles, which inhabit North, Central and South America , can
live to around 70 years old. It is estimated that Pocho is around 50 - almost the
same age as his owner. They are also said to be less aggressive than their Nile
or Australian counterparts. Chito, whose real name is Gilberto Shedden, was given
hi nickname by friends, who also call him "Tarzan Tico" - Tico being a familiar word
for a Costa Rican. And he certainly plays up to the name, wearing a tattered pair of
leopard-print shorts for his half-hour performances with Pocho. A keen conservationist,
he also offers boat tours, where he eagerly points out a variety of wildlife. But he only
charges a few dollars to watch the breathtaking crocodile show, claiming he does not
want to cash in on Pocho. He says: "He’s my friend; I don’t want to treat him like a
slave or exploit him. "I am happy because I rescued him and he is happy with me
because he has everything he needs."
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