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Overcoming my fear of alligators
During our exploration of the rainforests, we had to camp in places inhabited by alligators. I knew I had to overcome my fear of them, so I flew to the Brazilian Pantanal in order to learn how the local people live with these creatures. (0) In the Pantanal, there are so many alligators one can never swim without being in the same water with them. With my guide Paulo, I learned how to catch them, an experience that deepened my understanding and, perhaps most importantly, boosted my confidence.
My guide explained that although the Pantanal is a nature reserve, it is cattle farming land. The elders come from a generation that hunted alligators, armadillos, deer and wild pigs for their meat. Sons of hunters have become the eco-tour guides of the reserve.
He explained that in the Pantanal people know nature well and can catch most animals by hand.
Paulo took me for walks to observe the alligators, but I was never able to come close enough for the photos I wanted to take. Paulo informed me that they have only one highly developed sense on land, amazing vision.
. I wondered how we could come close enough to ever catch any. Paulo looked at me and said with great confidence, "Don't worry, we are going to catch alligators."
One morning, we sighted a large alligator on a river bank.
With a long stick, Paulo started to poke around in the water. Suddenly, a giant jaw broke the surface of the water. Paulo turned his lasso in the air and threw it around the alligator's head and pulled it tight. "Take it, it's yours!" he said. But I couldn't bring myself to do that. I was impressed by Paulo, who walked barefoot through the floating vegetation in the murky water full of alligators and piranhas. For him it was natural, but I couldn't forget all my preconceived ideas.
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One day, we stopped our truck in front of a large pool of water where there were sure to be alligators.
Barefoot, he stepped into the mixture of floating vegetation and murky water. Suddenly, he jumped forward, his hands plunging toward the floating vegetation, and lifted out a five-foot-long alligator. "Do you want to hold it?" "Yes," I answered. I wrapped my hands around the neck of the alligator and held it up with anxiety. My purpose, however, was to fight my fear.
.After a few seconds it looked so harmless I felt ashamed of my exaggerated fear.
My week in the Pantanal with Paulo was enlightening. I learned a lot about alligators. I realized that they fear people much more than we fear them. I was now ready to paddle the jungle rivers with confidence. The biggest danger isn't alligators, but mosquitoes, humans and our own minds.
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