yea i know about all that
i'm gettin a vesectomy, kids wont be a factor, or i wouldnt even think of getting one. and hey if a girl wants to be with me she'll just have to respect the fact im a croc keeper. But when i say pet i dont mean im about to go around acting like steve irwin and go around toyin with it. Crocs deserve and need the ultimate respect and you just have to be EXTREMELY aware of where it is at all times. Wont be for a few years though after I get a job and see how things end up before ill actually start building and getting ready to keep a croc. I didnt come here expecting people not to tell me i shouldnt get one, i been here 3 years so I know how yall are. But i've gotten alot of help and ill thank all of yall
Oh i didnt say i was ready for one, didnt say im ordering one today. But man if i were to do that i wouldnt have the money to care for it anyway, but yea ill study my ass off for it. No way im getting one until i feel 100% ready. Lol im in no way foolish enough to think i could tame a croc though, thats a deathwish
Not really. As I recall they *tend* to walk or swim away from humans...but if they're feeling territorial, angry, have lost their fear of people due to being fed (gators become a huge danger to humans this way), or are in an enclosed area and cannot flee - well let's just say they should be taken as seriously as any other massive carnivore.
In terms of captivity, as a group many tend to be more laid-back, but this is a generalization. Even normally calm individuals can get startled, moody, or just plain have a bad day. Some individuals never mellow out. They all have their own personalities.
Try spending some time around these creatures...learning about them via the internet, zoos, and books is one thing but actually being around them is another
Since I've drank a few beers tonight I'm not going to sugar coat anything...I think this is an amazingly stupid idea. Also pay close attention to Memento's post...great points. :clap: In your time on-shore away from your offshore diving you should also see if you can find an alligator farm close by and volunteer your time there. These animals are NO joke and WILL hand you your ass in a heartbeat given the chance...including the caiman.Hmm, yeah it would interesting to see what's going on there first. This thread reminds me of that guy that kept a very unusually tame alligator in his basement. He would let his kid that was barely old enough to walk ride on it's back in the backyard. If I remember, that thing was around 8 feet long. He would take it to schools for students to look at. He'd push it up the stairs in the basement and manage to get it in a van(I think it was) and drive it to places un-muzzled and the kids would walk up to it and touch it. I think the guy had it since it was a baby(?) I looked on Youtube to see if it was there, sure seems like that clip would be there somewhere because it looked crazy man!
That's child endangerment NQA.
I can't wait for ours to get to even 50-75 pounds...I plan on buying a house, digging a moat with a drawbridge around it, and letting him wander the moat during the summer with a sign that says, "Beware of turtle"
I wonder if the OP has ever been close to a crocodile or alligator in the wild. I have been less than ten feet away from a 5-6' alligator in Louisiana on more than one occasion (some were a little bigger) and they don't appear to be anything I'd want to have after me...even at that small size.
Do you have any proof of this? I've seen his gator(s) in person numerous times over the years, and I'm not sure I would feel comfortable making that statement. He has credibility with numerous people I doubt would endorse him if routine sedation was "obvious", but I'm out of my realm of knowledge here...
ive thought about all those factors, who knows a few years from now i might not be in the right position and might end up being 20 years before i finally get it. But for now in texas its legal to keep and species of crocodilians except alligators you have to get a license for.If you have decided you're going to keep a Nile crocodile, nothing anyone says is likely to change your mind right now. I vaguely remember what it was like to be 18
However, having had personal experience with a few crocodilians, I suggest you seriously consider the following as you grow older:
1. Local, state and federal law. Also, the arrangements of any permits you may require, as Nile crocodiles are listed in both appendices of CITES.
2. Staff. At minimum, you will require at least one (preferably more) full-time, experienced private staff member to assist in the maintenance of a Nile crocodile. Under no circumstances should your property ever not have someone present if one of these animals is living on it.
3. Finding a veterinarian skilled in treating crocs could be quite difficult, and involve many hidden costs that you may not be prepared for (complex house calls, buying a specially equipped vehicle to transport your croc for medical care, etc.).
4. Security and emergency response preparedness will both be absolute requirements. You will need at least one additional secure enclosure for moving and maintaining the animal. You will also need an emergency response system in place should an accident occur, such as an alarm, personal panic buttons, and other measures to call for immediate urgent assistance. With crocodilians, never assume you will be able to make it to a phone to call for help if something goes wrong.
5. Life insurance policies may be voided by you keeping a Nile crocodile, and health insurance may exclude injuries you receive in the course of keeping your animal. Ensure you are covered, and even then, expect to pay a very high premium.
6. You will need a good lawyer. If your animal escapes and causes damage, or causes distress, injury or death to someone else (even on your own property), you could be liable and subject to prosecution.
7. Ensure that you have reliable sources for home and property maintenance, apart from the crocodile. Professionals from many trades usually have the right to refuse service to properties if they perceive there to be a risk of personal harm (or their insurance may prevent them doing so if such a risk exists). Many may consider the presence of a dangerous animal on the property to qualify as such a risk.
These are all things that must be set-up BEFORE you even begin looking to purchase your animal, and are in addition to the thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars you can expect to pay each year for routine maintenance and care.
I understand that you've been interested in these animals for a few years, but please understand that three years of interest is not enough time. Even if you wait a few more years until college is done, your career is secure and you own a property, it still isn't enough time.
Interest in an animal is not a substitute for experience. Keeping a Nile crocodile without first gaining experience is like competing in the Grand Prix without a driver's license. Chances are very high that you will be badly hurt, or possibly killed. Take it from one who knows - even though I have experience with crocodilians, I have a disfiguring scar over the back of my hand and lower arm as a reminder that I can still make mistakes. It was given to me by a small American alligator, and the injury required surgery to repair. Had it been an adult Nile croc, I have no doubt that my whole arm would have been torn from my body.
If you're absolutely dead-set on keeping a large crocodilian (which it seems that you are, at least for now), do yourself a favour and start with a spectacled or dwarf caiman to build up your experience. If after a few years you find you can manage them as adults, move up to something a little bigger, and so on until you reach your goal. Make the Nile croc the last stop on your journey of croc-keeping, not your first.
EDIT: My post should not be taken as an endorsement for the keeping of ANY crocodilian in a private collection. Personally, I consider even "small" caimans to be beyond the capabilities of most private keepers. All crocodilians that entered my care were rescues, and were only with me as an interim measure until they could be relocated to proper, professional facilities.