Just about everyone loves animals, but only a few make the decision to dedicate their lives and careers to taking care of animals. It's a lot to ask of oneself, but then there are those individuals who take their love of animals to a whole new level and do something out of the ordinary. Dr. Evan Antin has helped many animals and even saved their lives, much to the delight and relief of their owners.
However, people who own cats and dogs might not care to come into close quarters with the kind of critters that Dr. Antin takes care of. His passion for animals lies in the world of exotic animals, and he has made it a point to learn about their care so he can treat them properly.
It probably comes as no surprise that his career centers around animals when taking a look at his childhood. He spent his days exploring the creek near his home in search of bugs and slimy critters that inhabited the banks. Snakes, turtles, bugs, it didn't matter.
He was interested in it all.
Once he reached college, he got right down to business. While his classmates were chasing girls and playing drinking games, Evan didn't take part.
Caring for animals was at the forefront of his mind, and he decided that his career was going to revolve around them. However, Evan wasn't interested in just any standard career as a small animal veterinarian.
After Evan got his degree, he entered into veterinary practice. But he chose a path that's different from most veterinarians who prefer to go into small animal practice. Instead, he decided to specialize in animals that aren't found at the local pet store.
Sure, Evan works with cats and dogs, but he prefers to challenge himself by working with animals that most people would take a pass at owning.
You might want to pay attention if you happen to visit Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California. The waiting room is very likely to contain animals with feathers or scales as they wait for their turn with Dr.
Antin. They're especially creepy to people who don't like things that slink and slither.
Evan gets to the clinic and gets going the moment his shift starts for the day It's not unusual to see him carrying in something like a monitor lizard or helping the owner of a boa constrictor get their pet into the clinic. These creatures are heavy and it's all in a day's work to lend a hand before stepping inside to start seeing patients.
Once he's in the doors, he's putting on his white coat and stethoscope so he can get to work. As soon as everyone's in place, including the animal, it's time to get down to business. Evan starts his day early so he can see as many patients as possible.
He's got his hands on animals that are rare and dangerous and have the potential to make the day very miserable indeed.
Part of his job is handling animals that aren't domesticated and aren't fond of being handled too much. Evan's odds of being clawed and bitten are greater than the average veterinarian, and he's got the scars to prove it. Despite this, he's never regretted his decision to specializes in exotics.
In fact, it's why he gets out of bed and makes it to work early in the morning every day of his work week.
Animals of all kinds come equipped with fangs and claws that can cause serious damage. Evan learned that quickly and has the scars to prove his experience.
However, it hasn't made him regret his decision to specialize in exotics. The excitement of working with unusual animals and finding out what makes them tick is what gets him going every day.
Another thing you might notice about Dr. Antin is the fact he's in peak physical condition.
It's something he started doing when he was 13 years old and it's served him well in his career working with exotic animals. All animals have strength, but some are so strong that it takes all he has just to handle them. Being in such great shape also helps out when it's time to pick up something heavy and squirmy.
Each day there are countless worried clients with their four-legged patients waiting in the Conejo Valley veterinary office. They come there in hopes of getting treatment for their pet, but there's something about Dr.
Antin that distracts the human clients just a bit. It's a little difficult to not notice that Evan is one really good-looking guy. His admirers consistently compare him to Henry Cavil, the actor best known for his role as Superman.
Dr. Antin was named the sexiest veterinarian on the planet by People magazine in 2017. It's not one of their more common titles, but they decided to give Evan the recognition they felt he deserved.
It didn't take long for him to rise to fame on the internet and beyond. It took just a short time for his social media followers to blast past one million, and he was inundated with interview requests from news outlets and websites. It made him wonder if his popularity would make it difficult to be a good vet.
He managed to get his insecurity to settle down and realized he had the perfect opportunity to make life better for all animals. He decided that the publicity could be used to advocate and educate the world at large about animals around the world and the challenges they face.
Except there was one small problem; he had to get his reach to extend beyond his part of the world in southern California.
Evan made the decision that he would travel the world to showcase different animals whenever he had the time and opportunity. His girlfriend comes with, something that's a bit upsetting to his fans who just want to see the hunky vet on their screen, but the annoyance passed when they realized Dr.
Antin reminded them of someone.
Viewers quickly realized that Evan is an American version of Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter. In fact, The Crocodile Hunter show was his favorite show when he was growing up, and he was thrilled to carry on the legacy of a man who showed the world there is beauty in the most dangerous of creatures.
Evan has come out and said that the crocodile is his favorite animal, but also added that he adores all animals equally and welcomes all animals that walk through his office door.
When it comes down to it, Evan wouldn't mind if he lost his star power.
His heart and mind are focused on taking care of every unusual creature and demonstrating that no matter what the animal looks like, it deserves loving care. Fame doesn't matter to this man who's made it his life's work to care for the most unconventional of animals.
Gilberto 'Chito" Shedden is a tour guide and fisherman in Siqquires, Costa Rica. He enjoys giving tours of his province and knows the area like the back of his hand.
In 1989, Chito was making his rounds when he came across potential danger in the form of a male crocodile on the Reventazon River.
His eyes met with the crocodile.
Normally crocodiles are fierce hunters with jaws that grip like iron and are known to go after humans. Chito wondered if his life was in danger when he came across the fierce hunter.
Unusually, the crocodile didn't move when it sighted Chito.
When he realized this, Chito approached the crocodile and gave it a closer look. He discovered that the crocodile was a mere 150 pounds and had been shot through the left eye.
It looked like someone had shot the crocodile in the head and felt they had finished off the croc for good. The shooter was probably a cattle rancher seeking to keep predators from attacking his herd.
The crocodile didn't seem hostile at all. In fact, it was quiet and compliant.
Chito decided that the croc deserved a shot at life, loaded it into his boat, and brought him home. Predictably, his family wasn't amused at what Chito brought home.
Chito made up his mind to earn the trust of the crocodile. He slept with it at hight in his home and fed it fish and chicken while making an attempt to pet the crocodile as he fed it.
Shedden was determined to get the beast used to human contact.
Shedden hid the crocodile in a pond for six months and continued to nurse it back to health and gain its trust. Chito named the croc Pocho which is a Costa Rican name for "strong.
The two formed a bond and became almost inseparable.
Chito worked hard to get his family to accept Pocho as part of the family.
He went as far as sticking his arm in Pocho's mouth, something that would be absolutely crazy with any other crocodile. But Pocho had become so docile and trusting of Chito that he had no desire to hurt his human companion.
You're probably asking "how was this possible?" by this point. A nature photographer who visited with Chito and Pocho came up with the theory that the head wound caused damage to a part of Pocho's brain that would normally make him aggressive with other animals.
The longer Chito worked on training Pocho, the farther word spread about the fisherman with a friendly pet crocodile. People wanted to see the pair in action, but Chito was not surprisingly afraid of getting into trouble with the local authorities.
It finally came time for Chito to abide by the law and get a permit from the police to become Pocho's legal guardian. That had to have raised some eyebrows at the police station when the paperwork was filled out!
Once Chito got everything sorted out, he announced that he and Pocho were going to put on a show the likes that no one had ever seen. His announcements worked so well that a large crowd lined up along the riverbank on the day of their first performance.
Chito got into the water with his scaly swimming partner and began doing incredible stunts with Pocho. Chito swam circles around Pocho, stuck his head underneath the crocs' legs, and opened up its mouth for a dental examination.
The crowd went crazy as they watched the performance. Pocho and Chito became an instant sensation and starred in their own documentary, The Man Who Swims With Crocodiles.
People came from around the world to watch the duo perform for 20 years. They gasped when they saw the size of Pocho, but the crocodile never once harmed his human friend.
Pocho eventually became a member of the Shedden family after helping them become famous. However, Chito's wife wasn't too happy when he admitted that he might have more love for Pocho than her.
Chito spent as much time as he could with Pocho, even when there were no performances scheduled. He loved nothing more than to spend time swimming and cuddling with his very unusual pet.
Unfortunately, Pocho passed from natural causes due to old age in 2011. He was estimated to be anywhere between 50 and 60 years old when he passed.
Chito held an elaborate funeral to honor Pocho, and it was well-attended by fans and admirers coming to pay their respects.
Chito can look back on his time with Pocho and be proud of what the two of them accomplished together. Everyone saw a predatory monster while Chito found a true friend.