Lurching out of the water to snatch the raw chicken dangling overhead, the full girth of Boots’ stout figure emerged, like a live-action version of Tick-Tock the Crocodile from Disney’s Peter Pan. “You never see an alligator that hefty in the wild,” says our 17-year-old guide, Caden Meyer. At 12 feet, 6 inches, Boots is the largest American alligator at Crocodile Encounter, a crocodilian conservation habitat in Angleton.
Located about 30 minutes outside Houston, Crocodile Encounter is a 23-acre facility that promises to be “a great way to experience nature up close and personal.” Owned and operated by former science teacher Chris Dieter and his family, Crocodile Encounter is the largest public crocodile facility in the nation. Self-guided and guided tours run seven days a week. On our first leg of our guided tour my 12-year-old and 6-year-old each took turns gently petting a western prairie snake and holding a 2-year-old American alligator. Promise kept.
A rotating cast of enthusiastic guides led us through the lush, 26-acre park, brimming with wildlife, from 14 species of crocodiles to two species of alligators to a collection of antelopes including the giant eland, blackbuck, waterbuck, and gray wildebeest and an Australian emu named Gregory. We stopped to feed Nigerian dwarf goats and observe red kangaroos, sprawled in the summer heat.
Popping their adorable heads up over the fence, the goats shamelessly wheedled for every morsel. Guests can purchase feed for crocodiles and alligators and feed for tortoises, antelopes, kangaroos, and goats for $5 each. Brave visitors can even opt to go fishing for crocs for $50. “It’s you, a bamboo pole, a bucket of food, and a whole lot of hungry crocs,” the online description reads.
We paused over the wooden boardwalk so my oldest could drop a pellet to feed the juvenile American alligators. The intimate bridge felt precariously close to the reptiles below, and I tried not to think about the proximity. Years ago, I rafted down the Nile in Jinja, Uganda, and it was only after I followed my friend, hopping into the water to quickly pee, our guide remarked, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. This area is known to have crocodiles.”
This time our guide advised us not to zig-zag if we see an alligator in the wild, before joking, “always bring a slower friend.” Thanks to Crocodile Encounter, the town of Angleton is home to the largest collection of African Nile crocodiles in the country. Nile crocodiles are known to be the most deadly crocodilian, and crocodilians have the strongest bite force in the world, reaching upward of 4,000 pounds of force. Our first encounter with the crocodiles of the park were with the extremely rare T-Positive Albino crocodiles, followed by the critically endangered Cuban and Philippine crocodiles.
Our next guide nonchalantly entered the enclosure of the endangered Orinoco crocodile, calling Coco for a late morning snack. With ease, each of the park’s guides led us from one species to the next, regaling us with the backgrounds and namesakes and providing an onslaught of fascinating facts and information about alligator safety and preservation.
Delilah, a nuisance alligator that had been shot in the eye, provided tangible evidence of the importance of leaving alligators alone so they do not become acclimated to humans. The soundtrack of the common Great-tailed grackle echoed around the tropical surroundings, and the whole experience felt like entering a Wild Kratts episode, striking that elusive balance of education and entertainment.
We ended our tour in the African-spurred tortoise yard, where my kids leisurely fed the prehistoric creatures baby carrots. I briefly chatted with a dad driving with his daughter from Massachusetts to California that found his way to this unique spot after looking for a place to see alligators.
As we left, one of the guides asked if we had a good time and invited us to return. Our family will certainly return. Maybe after dark.
