Monday, November 04, 2024

Can crocodiles be tamed?

Profile photo for Afrodita Hoxha

It's possible but they can never be truly tamed.

In my country there's a story around the early 1950's where a young woman found and cared for three male baby saltwater crocodiles who's mother was killed.

She raised and fed them, they grew to be absolutely HUGE, they were all measured up to around 20–21 feet long and nearly 2,000 Kg's!

They weren't in captivity either, they were free but usually came to her. She lived on a remote island and brought the crocodiles with her to her island home after rescuing them. They were free to roam the island, but they mostly stayed on one of the beaches. Amazingly, they rarely left the Island or swam too far, they would always come back to her island. She would sometimes make food for them and go down to the beach to feed them.

They never ever harmed the woman, she could freely touch, stroke and pat them and even swam with one of them while sitting on his back. She even slept next to them on the beach shore one night and woke up alive and well.

It isn't because she fed them either, they would sometimes go days or weeks without food and still never harmed her nor ever tried to. I think the crocs thought she was their mother or something since she raised them from when they were small.

Despite not attacking her in particular, they were still extremely dangerous to other people as one of her crocodiles tried to grab and drown a rather stupid journalist who was too close to him. She was the only one they never tried to attack. They would 100% kill strangers however.

Another more recent story is of Pocho and Chito. Although, sadly Pocho passed away in 2011. R.I.P.

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