Crocodile Whisperer. (Now this is daring). 

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.


  


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.



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."

 

ONLY IN NORTH QLD AMAZING !