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. 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 crocodile 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. “He was very skinny, weighing only around 150lb. I gave him chicken, 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 took years before Chito felt that Pocho had bonded with him enough to get closer to the animal. “After a decade I started to work with him. 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 crocodile in a lake near his house. As he turned to walk away, to his amazement, Pocho got out of the water and began to follow him home.
Published October 31, 2009
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