Most of the time, Chito and Pocho swim in the evenings. The now 53-year-old fisherman will lay on the beast in the sun as well, the two of them catching rays. Despite their age, the two friends still like to rough house a bit when they swim. It’s clear that Pocho behaves more like a dog than anything else. Everything was going well for Chito and Pocho, until 2011…
On October 12, 2011, Pocho the crocodile died of natural causes. He was over 50 years old. Chito Shedden gave his longtime friend a funeral that would go down in history as the first of it’s kind. It was the world’s first human-style public funeral ever given to a crocodile. Pocho’s friends and admirers paid their respects at the large gathering, which took place in Siquirres, Costa Rica.
TheTicoTimes @ Youtube
Chito even sang and emotional song to his pet and held his hand during most of the funeral. Afterward, Pocho’s body was given to the Siquirres town museum to be stuffed and put on permanent display. Costa Ricans still consider Pocho to be a national treasure and stop to pay their respects often. Chito Shedden, however, believes that Pocho’s legacy can live on, in his next “pet” project…
Nico Ruijter @ Youtube
Since Pocho’s death in 2011, Chito had been working with a new crocodile whom he has named, appropriately, Pocho II. Like the first Pocho, Chito met this crocodile while fishing. Since that meeting, the fisherman has brought the reptile food and even pet the crocodile while the beast ate. He has said that he wants to continue the work he does with crocodiles to see if they can all be tamed in such a way.
Nico Ruijter @ Youtube
Although he has made progress in establishing a relationship with Pocho II, many scientists and herpetologists are uncertain that he will be able to repeat the same circumstances with this crocodile. The original Pocho’s brain damage may have had a significant effect on his capacity to love Chito. Still, the man is confident he can now work in the same way with any reptile, as long as he has patience.
