Professionals with over 30 years combined experience who work with alligators every day: “alligators are not your friends and do not love you” People on the Internet with no crocodilian experience: “OMG these people are so wrong and don’t know what they’re talking about!” 😂😂😂 Seriously guys, thank you so much for all the support! We love educating people that are open to it❤️

“A wild animal does or doesn’t bite you for a specific motivation and that motivation is never a Disney story” Pretty concise way of putting it!

Love how you guys try to keep human-animal relationship as scientific and factual as possible but also treat all your animals with a lot of love and care.

I don't understand how people can't be happy with just the idea that it is SO AMAZING to be able to build a working relationship with these animals; a level of trust/co-existence with these giant apex predators is just as amazing

I've been a falconer for 23 years. I've flown my current hawk for 12 years. The relationship between me and my hawks is strictly symbiotic. If I was 10 inches tall my hawk would try to eat me. The relationship is simply cooperation between two entities. This "being" flushes rabbits for me and I catch. There is no love or affection from my hawks no matter how many years they are flown. This video makes sense and dispels the Disney movie myth that all is sunshine and roses in the animal kingdom.

You might be losing a lot of money and opportunity by keeping it real. But... you're also saving a lot of crocodilians... and people. Respect.

There’s a video of Steve Irwin crying when one of his crocs died. He pulled her out of the water and wept while holding her. In the same enclosure, the big male croc, who is famous for aggressively seeking to kill Steve was way across the other side of the pond and did not go anywhere near his dead denial croc or Steve. I’ve always wondered about that and why he didn’t take that opportunity to get Steve. Since seeing that I became more and more intrigued with crocodiles and their unique intelligence.

The fact that he tried to put this crocodile in two or three different locations and it always came back to his house is incredible on its own.

I tell people the same thing about politicians, they appear that they love you but as soon as you show signs of thinking for yourself they want to eat you😂😂

These are the type of people I want to have around in my life - logical, rational and not prone to being hijacked by one's own beliefs and emotions.

This is why I am subbed. They speak the truth not comforting lies. This information keeps people safe and aware around these animals

My husband has had a crocodilian license for about 20 years. Raised a cayman from a hatchling to about 7 feet and currently house a 3 year old American alligator. The best way to put it is that they will eat you and feel no remorse. Yes, you can train them but they will always will be wild. Thank you for giving people realistic information. If you want an animal to “love” you, get a dog or cat but please don’t think you can own these animals thinking they will “love” you back.

It's super nice to hear someone being accurate and realistic instead of the usual romanticizing that happens. People like to put human characteristics and traits on animals instead of educating themselves on the actual animal's behaviors. You're both great, thanks for the education!

“Our chakras align and we hold crystals together” 😂😂😂

Working with feral dogs, cats and other wild animals has taught me one invaluable lesson. The closest thing reptiles feel to love is comfort and an understanding of where food comes from. Reptiles are not true social creatures in the same way canines, felines, and apes are. If a reptile approaches you without attacking it's because it knows you're not going to harm it and it knows you have food. Trained sharks are very similar, just a little more difficult to do.

That’s something I learned early on in zoology, how we like to anthropomorphize animals and that can be dangerous in terms of understanding them and also dangerous in terms of putting yourself into harm’s way. Animals are individuals, they interact in ways we want to attribute to us but that’s not always the best case. Alligators and crocodiles are not as social creatures like dogs, so social dependency is not something relevant to them in terms of survival. Even captive animals who grow this dependency will still disregard it if it no longer benefits them a lot quicker and more intensive than social creatures.

I look at it this way, my former feral cat “loves” me...he is perma attached to my hip, and gets sick when I travel for work... BUT.. his fight or flight response is strong, and when I startled him a few years back, he came on all claws and teeth at my face. So, sure, animals have bonds, respect, etc, but their “love” is different than ours, and we can’t assume it’s the same, we can just appreciate it for what it is. Reptile brains are not wired like mammal brains, and that’s ok. We can still love them. Thanks for all you guys do!

Temple Grandin wrote a really great book on this topic. Technical explanation: All vertebrates do feel affection, as this neurochemical reaction is necessary for sexual reproduction and sometimes child-rearing, but the strength of that affection varies and can be overwhelmed by other, more vital emotions such as panic or aggression. Poncho might have lost those emotions in his brain damage, hence why his only expressions are simple affection. Keeping in mind that the difference in simple affection and complex 'love' is the complexity of the brain those neurochemical reactions take place in.

Who is to say who is capable of love? The truth is you do not know.

This is exactly what makes tame, domesticated pets, like dogs, different from trained wild animals. A dog actually forms an emotional bond with its human because of centuries of domestication. Dogs have evolved to form bonds with humans because of this. If you want an animal to love you, get a dog, he will truly be your best friend. An alligator may chill with you, and decide not to eat you, but he won't love you like a dog. Lastly, I wonder if some animals, like Casper for instance, learn to mimick human behaviors, you pet him and now he rubs his head against you just as a sort of learned behavior, not as an act of affection.

The anthropomorphization of animals has always drove me crazy. There's a lot of people who you can't convince that animals don't think and feel just like humans do.

I wish people were into these real stories as much as the fantasy of animals loving people. It's extra special that, even though you guys know Casper and TickTock will never love you, you still love them. That's exactly the people who should have sanctuaries because you actually understand animals. Not through some mystical connection; through being good at your jobs!

"You can leave the door wide open to the enclosure, and the gator's just looking like '... But the food's over that way.'" Okay, this line just killed me. XD Hilarious and yet so accurate!

you skipped over the part where the Journalist entered the water with Chito and Pocho, and the croc immediately took a dislike to him being in the water with them.

This is such an important message. Thank you. Your videos are so informative and entertaining. I appreciate the two of you. Hugs to you, and all of the critters that consent to being hugged.

Love this channel. It's great to hear people talking realistically about crocodilians. Incredible animals and ever since I was a kid I've been fascinated by our salties here in Australia... incredible amazing animals. Thanks for keeping it real!

Thank you for giving us this lecture. I wasn't hoping that it was a magical Disney story, I just wanted a detailed explanation. You guys provided exactly that.

I love that you guys call out the production company for wanting you guys to feed people lies! ❤ I think that a lot of kids want to believe anything they see online and for people like you guys to call that out is amazing and respected 🙌 I try to tell my 5-year-old that all the time and we both LOVE watching your videos and I think her hearing that from you guys gave her some reassurance that I'm not making that up! And disney loves to twist the story whatever it takes to make them money!

as with all animals and even humans: it’s all about respect. Respect their nature, their space, their needs.

We humans evolved a brain capable of feeling affection and love. It helped us in our survival. Crocodiles/ Alligators evolved differently. Their brain works differently.

It's always difficult to get out of the "animals feel like us" mindset... That's also why i like to watch videos like this once in a while... Just to remember, and reset my brain that likes to believe in these magical stories... Edit: I think the problem (for me) is empathy... Relating my own feelings and thoughts onto the animal. And it's very rarely that I can remind myself to remember that they don't think like we do. And that their connection to instinct and survival is far stronger than ours...

I'm a Florida resident born and raised in Florida, and I am so sick of idiots going an feeding these creatures just because they think it's cool or assuming these things can develop feelings for a human. All these idiots are doing is making the alligators and crocs fear humans less and then it endangers our lives as well as their lives and then this amazing creature ends up having to be put down because it either attacked a human or worse killed someone because of the disgusting lack of respect humans have for wildlife animals!

This was incredible! So much important information that hopefully people took in instead of bristle against! Have to say, the best part was Tic Tok showing that she is the “Superstar of the channel!” You two are an incredible pair, thank you for everything you do for our animals and planet!

I think people mistake a "bond" for "love"....They really arent the same thing. Love is unconditional, while a bond can be broken.

Just found Pocho tonight, and then this video. As a long-term fan of insect, arachnid, crustacean and reptile/amphibian interaction, this content fascinates me. I dont disagree with anything the two of you have said, since the caveats to safely handling animals like this are many and risky. Though I do think it makes Chito's success with Pocho, without the same background and type of understanding of the animal, that much more fantastic.

Most people are not inherently violent; some are. Why shouldn’t crocodilians have different personalities? The worst human condition is assumption.

literally JUST rewatched that documentary and talked about it with somebody else, we both thought it was maybe chito becoming a known fixture of sorts in pocho’s environment given how much time and effort that chito put into interacting with him. coming to that conclusion of course after learning how quickly they can learn to follow routines and remember people and things from watching your channel so much lately! was super excited to see this title of all things come up and get this explained so directly and thoroughly.

I'd say the correct sentence would be "They are content to be with us, and decided we're not hostile nor food, but provide them food."

It shows intelligence? But not love? Or emotions. Stating reptiles don’t have emotions is obtuse at best. Is old fashion human thinking. “They all have different personalities” she says but then state other contradictory ideas that can exist without emotions. What are emotions? How much feelings count as emotions?

I love the way you guys explain this. I feel you are giving proper knowledge to keep humans and the animals safe. Thank you for your videos and please continue to be safe!

There's over 250 million years of PREDATORS instinct , you can train them, you'll NEVER TAME them. 1 mistake Is all is needed for them to turn on that predator instinct. I really enjoy watching your videos and appreciate you two.

"who says crocs can't love - they just express it in different ways. What one perceives as 'biting, killing, ingesting' is just their way of bonding with their loved ones" --- Chito

crocodiles are different i believe the croc loves that guy. and it has nothing to do with its natural instincts. i mean even humans and your loved ones can become really dangerous if they felt threatened or don’t trust you anymore.

I feel like these people are still wrong 😕 you don't truly have a bond you just hangout with a creature and try to co exist. You keep trying to throw your education in people's face like it means anything outside a professional work setting. They're lizards so of course they think differently than we do but a true connection is a complete understanding of 2 beings and a large amount of trust. I believe it's possible to build a friendship with a lizard. Humans adapt, build bonds that are usually impossible, and change the earth to fit our needs. Alligators are smart reptiles capable of noticing patterns and remembering things for years and where perfected by millions of years of evolution. You don't try to see things from their level you just believe you're so high and mighty that you can train it to do what you want but you don't care what it wants in the slightest. You don't know what it was thinking when it attacked that female Alligator. But usually that kind of thing means you weren't meeting all of that creature's needs.

I think romantisizing these behaviors is possibly a subconscious way to get over the primordial fear of apex predators. Or maybe an excuse to care about these animals? Anyways thanks for skipping the bs and educating the public. You guys are awesome!

Love how real you are about everything. Literally covering every respond that someone could give you

Sounds like these two are hating to me. Stop hating please.

I had the opportunity to volunteer in many wildlife sanctuaries and work and have direct contact with lions, tigers, cheetas and so on (never with reptiles), and the main thing i learned is that body language is 99% of the understanding of an animal. The issue with reptilians (maybe only some of them? not really an expert) is that, like hyppos, they don't have facial expression. When you work with lions, (with some experience) you can be 95% sure of their intentions just by paying attention to their eyes, ears and posture. Crocs on the other hand: - Don't have facial expressions so you can't read that. - If they are in the water you can't realistically read their body language, because you can't see most of their body. - They don't warn you with sounds like a hyppo unless you are really close (hyppos literally scream at you to tell you to get the hell out of their land) Is it possible that this misconception about crocodiles having/not having feelings is because it's a lot more difficult to "read" them?

What about the clip I saw of "Wally" the alligator. A man has him as a pet and a certified "service animal" for PTSD? He takes Wally to the mall and hospitals to meet people. Do you know of him? p.s. I grew up in Florida with an 8' gator in my back yard canal. We never "habituated" him. Dad taught us, "Alex is safe. If you never feed him. Never approach the water's edge quickly. An always keep a 30- 40 yard distance." We did.

Hi, guys, I knew about yoour channel precisely from that video from The Dodo about TickTok, I loved it and since then I've been watching almost all your videos (including the "very" old ones). I love that you talked about this, because many animal related KZfaq channels, including The Dodo, do anthromorphizise animals and their relationships with humans quite a bit, and not only the channel itself but the people watching the videos too. Many comments have this "this is Disney magic" vibe on them that, might be cute or wholesome, but it is not correct/accurate, so I love to see this contrast. Awesome job, guys, as always. :)

Bro this is absolutely CAP! THIS IS NOT TRUE! Let me just back up the story. Chito rescued a crocodile shot in it's left eye by a farmer, and had severe injuries, Chito took the crocodile home and nursed it back to health, the next day, he found the crocodile back next morning and decided to name the crocodile Pocho. The only reason that Pocho loves Chito so much is because Chito showed care and love for Pocho. Now Pocho trusts in Chito and his care! So um yeah it's not that people work 30 years with crocodiles not being their friend, it's about true friendship and care!

Poncho obviously didn’t love chito because crocs do not have that type of emotions, they don’t feel love the same way people do but it is extremely impressive that a Crocodile was able to get so attached to a human being, it’s different with alligators, gators don’t see humans as food, they eat mostly fish they are not killing machines crocs On the other hand eat absolutely everything that gets in their way, they are a lot more aggressive and will eat humans too, I live in Costa Rica and it is very common to see that crocodiles attack people just to eat them, with alligators or caimans this does not happen, gators and caimans try to stay as far away from people as possible, they don’t like interacting with them and don’t see them as food but a threat, crocodiles see people as food this is why chito and Poncho’s story is so incredibly impressive

Chris and gabby are goals. I love their relationship and what they do it’s so inspirational in my opinion. Keep up the good work

I respect their point of view, and they are definitely experts in their field. The only thing i want to say is I feel like they can’t speak for someone else, like they have to prove that they know more or they want to prove everybody wrong. Why try to prove this man Cheeto isn’t write or his feelings are not right in their eyes. Who’s cares who’s wright or wrong. Let him do him and u do u? ✌️

Still you’re a professional at Croc / Alligator encounters ,,, Chito was not , he obviously didn’t know what to expect from Pacho until Pacho showed signs of calm . Adept care take of Pacho, is more impressive that Professional care from experts .

Even dogs will attack their owner during a seizure. It's one of the most common reasons for a dog attack by a well habituated family dog. It'd weird.

Maybe the crocodiles do respect others and have some kind of "feeling", but find it as a waste not to eat their "loved" ones if they're going to die anyway. It reminds me of an old sci-fi book "Anything You Can Do" by Randall Garrett. An alien ate his brother that he esteemed so much as a favor because he knew they were doomed. Great read, and it seems inspired by this kind of animals.

My wife and I went to a small zoo and gator sanctuary on the Texas/Louisiana state line where before you go out, they tell you at the end you get to hold a small gator. At first we weren't sure we even wanted to, but when my wife and I looked in it's beautiful eyes, we immediately wanted to hold it. I was most shocked by how soft its skin was, even on its back. Thank you for saving all these critters and educating the public on them.

My perspective on poncho Changed the moment cheeto rested his head on the crocs head and the croc closed it’s eyes.

Thanks, I never felt like Pocho "loved" the dude, more like he tamed it and acclimated it to him, which is even more of an accomplishment in my opinion!

Thanks for the reminder. i witnessed an alligator eat another allegators legs just because it accidentally got in his mouth. I know these guys have no love or loyalty

I have a deep connection and understanding with mosquitoes. They love getting intimate with my body and we have a connection. They love me!

It's mutual respect. Casper respects you, and you respect him. Casper knows you provide food and care, so you're not the first option... buuut, that doesn't mean you are off the menu.

Thank you for your comments. In my mind, it explains the Sigfried and Roy incident. Roy had raised the white tiger from a cub but he did something which triggered a defensive response and was nearly killed. A white tiger is not a human being nor does it think like human beings. A point to always remember!

I just found this channel and I love you guys! I’m a DVM in Florida and I don’t work with reptiles, but I have worked with exotic mammals for twenty-five years. The misleading videos you talk about represent the woo-ification of people who are easily fooled by “documentaries” that crop up everywhere. I deal with the fallout from those all the time. So glad to see people like you spreading accurate information.

Scientists used to think that dogs didn’t dream

casper is gonna be sad when he hears about this.

I respect them even more. Many would sell out for the fact of being seen, yet they both are so honest. I really love hearing about their wildlife experiences.

So Riska the croc in Indonesia is also habituated. She is huge, but seems familiar with humans. I saw a video documentary on her and Ambo, and she almost reminds me of Casper. I’ve seen many stories where wild animals thank their rescuers. Riska learned to associate people with food. But with wild crocs is it worth the risk? All it takes is one slip up… I learn a lot thanks to you guys 💖

I still think poncho loved his owner , I was so sad when Pocho died😞

Man, there are a lot of ignorant "internet experts" in these comments. Probably the same typle of people that think when a dog snarls, they're "smiling". I blame it all on TikTok lol.

Also nobody thought pocho, was only friendly based off being rescued. He was friendly because they were close pals and spent time with each other. These are weird assumptions about how to interpret that film.

Your dog is the cutest he or she is pushing on you to get comfy so adorable!

I disagree that you cannot bond with animals. I just don't think they love the same way a human will love If you look up the definition of "love" I think technically an alligator have the ability to find lots of interest in a human or have the pleasure of being around a human. But that doesn't mean if it feels threatened it won't try to hurt you.

I’m a vet tech and have been in the field for over 15 yrs. I can’t tell you how informative your video is. I deal with this all the time as people humanize animals. Yes, they are domesticated, but they are still animals not humans.

omg you guys, TickTock has gotten so big!!! And she looks so GOOD!!! You've done an amazing job with her!

crocs or gators won't attack you when they feel comfortble with you around and don't recognize you as food...thats enough for me. i just love them the way they are.

Thanks for respecting wildlife for what it is, not what we want. Like you said, romanticizing the relationship would be easy, many already believe it, but the truth deserves to be heard.

I appreciate the message here, and I've always thought of crocs/alligators as instinctual, cold blooded, predators....but I'm not sure how anyone can definitively say that a crocodilian is incapable of generating a bond in which they associate a positive chemical reaction with a specific person or another animal. Once that chemical reaction is initiated, it get's stronger w every interaction. This is obviously a false equivalence, but let's not forget that we domesticated wolves. I think as humans, we create grandiose ideas of what "love" is. At the end of the day, it's a bond generated by chemical reactions, generated by positive association. Moreover, "love" only exists in a mutually beneficial relationship (a lot to unpack w that, but I think there's always a give and take happening, even in the case of "unconditional love"). So, food association might be the trigger, but that's not to say that continued association and interaction doesn't create a deeper chemical bond in time. I'm not sure anyone can say for certain that specific animals are incapable of that. We are all products of evolution, meaning we adapt to our environment. I think under specific conditions, some animals might surprise us. That all said, I defer to your expertise and knowledge. I just think the issue here is defining "love", and I think people have a conflated view of what love is. Can a crocodile or alligator love "like a human"? Probably not....but can they develop a bond that closely resembles what we as humans call "love"? I don't know, but I'd argue it's within the realm of possibility.

underrated channel, most importantly, underrated genuine people with a brain

We can’t attribute human ideas of affection to animals. Do we believe a python cuddling up next to you, licking you, is showing affection? Of course not. That’s what people don’t understand.

we need more people like you guys educating others who don't know any better.. the world is too greedy with profiting off ignorance.

I agree i strongly do i also now very well that crocodillians especially Crocodiles and Alligators cannot ever be gentle or loving to humans but poncho the American Crocodile is just one of a kind natural miracle that deserves a good explaination.

Chito and Pocho was awesome regardless tho 🔥🔥 I like watching ur videos aswell 👌

Ok first of all love your work, I’m all about rescue.. That being said, it is widely agreed that crocodiles are way more aggressive than alligators. Crocodiles are known to attack or strike out just because something is near and might even regularly prey on humans. Alligators are opportunistic eaters, still they will eat whatever’s the easiest also. I still gotta give it to Chito, that man did give his full attention and time for the whole 20 years studying his movements, fed him and protected him. The bond they had was undeniable. This special relationship was nothing like work for him day in and day out, instead this croc was like a family member to this man. 20 years is mighty long time to dedicate so much effort and care to an aggressive creature like the man eating croc. I say no one should compare other peoples experiences with animals behaviours, they are all different in their own beautiful way.

I adore how honest you guys are. As someone with an animal care background all I see is people anthropomorphising animals to their detriment. Wholeheartedly agree with everything said in this video. However I’d still love to see a deep rooted metaphysical bond video where you and Casper play with crystals. That would be hilarious! 😂🐊🔮💎

What I find funny about the "rescue therefore love" argument is that DOESN'T EVEN APPLY TO HUMANS. How many humans love the fire fighter, doctor, nurse or EMT that rescued them? Yeah.

I love how u point out that every animal has developed differently and while many wild animals can be trained most often they can't be tamed. They also did a version of this in "Jurassic World" in the end blue never loved Owen, she and the other raptors only behaved because they got food out of it, after they realized that most humans would point a gun at them when they took the tiniest step out of line, that is when they went, "we don't need humans any more". Yes, they make the argument that Blue is abnormally intelligent and compassionate, but most raptors would behave just like the others did upon meeting the I-Rex, without literally requiring interactions like that. That's why earlier in the film when Hotchkins tries to say he could use the raptors in the army, Owen just laughs at him and tries to explain, because he knows that once the raptors are sent on kill missions they would start to associate other humans as enemies and food when used in the way that Hotchkins wants to use them, wich would eventually lead to the raptors to snack on wounded people they were supposed to follow.

Thank you for being so honest. It's definitely clear that the animals are comfortable with you because you know what your doing and respect them and have spent sooooo much time working with them.

Truly the best public service announcement for all that visit or live in Florida or around reptiles. My biggest fear is encountering a habituated crocodilian in the wild and not have what it wants….😳. Great job and so well said keep up the educational material!

No matter how dangerous an animal is, you can always trust them more than the government.

You two do a tremendous job and you share this education and experience with us. So appreciated ❤️

I’ve always been so curious about this one and about Murabayashi-san in Japan who sleeps in a bed with a spectacled caiman! 👓🐊

In college, I dissected a shark, a frog, and a crocodilian. A shark is essentially a feeding tube with extraordinary senses. A frog is similar, and the croc is a sophisticated sensory system = feeding tube also. There is no brain in a shark or croc or frog with anything like human emotional capability. Also, humans are very capable of self-delusion especially where emotions are concerned. Humans are primarily emotional thinkers... not always the wisest way to be. Chris is right.

I don’t exactly know how you would be able to tell if a crocodile is capable of love. It’s not like you can ask it

Hippos and crocs have been doing it for long before we came along, it isn’t love…but it sure does have a lot to do with a personal gain, like being fed or protected or both, it is a symbiotic relationship.

You guys are great and I love your honesty.

I know this video is quite old so I probably won't get a response, but I'm gonna throw it out there anyway. Are affection and eating you as soon as you're dead _necessarily_ mutually exclusive? Also, I can't help but wonder _why_ any croc would come up and rest themselves on you even if they aren't hungry. Is there any _known_ reason behind that motive other than hunger or habit? I am asking these things not for a 'gotcha' moment or anything. These are just two things that, for me, haven't been answered. It completely makes sense that their brains are substantially different, thus work very differently and might very well be devoid of emotions as we know them. But with my emotional hopeful side, I'm still stuck on those two questions, because if there is any shred of doubt or lack of knowing, there is always a possibility of something we don't see. That's not to say I depend on that possibility, because obviously it's dangerous and might very well be insane. I see it as merely a possibility that hasn't been fully explained away.

I think we humans are more like gators and crocs then we would like to believe. We, too, are also opportunistic, although we don't like to think that we are. We stay with people because they make us feel good, feed us, and tend to our needs. Our "love" isn't as noble as we think it is. What we view as love for another person, is largely based on the fulfillment of our self-interests, and there's nothing wrong with that; that's just part of being human. The major thing that separates us from the crocs and gators, is a lack of desire to consume each other (at least physically! LOL)

Watching this video again. And I am still so in love. With your snake baby girl. I am so proud to be subscribed to your channel. Thank you family. For what you do. With these great animals. Many blessings from a very happy Philly fan.🤗😇😁🥰😘😍🤩💕