Guest interview: "We ran away from crocodiles!"

This time, brothers Quinn (6), Aiden (9) and Luca (7) tell me all about their trip to Crocodiles of the World in Oxfordshire, run by Shaun Fogget of the Channel 5 series The Croc Man.

What did you think when your mum told you she was taking you to Crocodiles of the World?

Aiden: It was MY idea, actually. I went to my friend’s birthday party there a couple of years ago, so I said to mum let’s all go there and she said yes!

Luca: [can’t hold back any longer!]: Me and Aiden were running so fast because there was a crocodile coming near us! There were two of them!

Aiden: [annoyed with brother for jumping ahead] Can I tell you the unexpected bit?

Yes, go ahead.

Aiden: Well, when I was in the crocodile house we went to see the Siamese crocodiles, and we looked at them and when we turned our back they jumped at us – both of them – and we ran away because we were so scared!

But they couldn’t actually get at you, could they?!

Quinn: No, the glass was there.

But it was still scarey?

Aiden: Yes, and after that, we went over to the saltwater crocodiles and we noticed their teeth and we were like NOPE! So we ran away again.

Luca: One of them was really really hooooge. It was so hooooge.

Aiden: The biggest one was about 15 foot.

So these crocodiles can actually kill people in real life, right?

Aiden: Yes. They do something called a crocodile death roll. They grab onto their prey or person and spin it around and drag whatever they’ve got under water to drown it.

Luca [just to clarify]: And kill it.

Quinn: And then it’s gonna die and die and die until it’s put to sleep.

Did you get to hold a crocodile?

Aiden: No, just touch them. You CAN hold them but we weren’t there at the right time.

Quinn: I stroked a baby crocodile. It felt so weird. Kind of like really soft, and like a fish, but it was a crocodile.

Luca: Yes, it was so slimy. And when I was touching its tail, it tickled.

The man told us that if you put your hand near a baby crocodile or you swim near a baby crocodile, the mum or the dad keep chasing you and if it’s a Nile one it’s gonna be really speedy.

Did you see them being fed?

Aiden: Yeah. Dead birds. Chicken.

Did you learn the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

Aiden: Yes, one of them has a small snout, and the other one I think is a different colour. They had both there. They had like a 100 crocodiles and alligators and caimans.

Luca: There were load and loads and loads. 

Did they have any other types of animals there?

Luca: Yes, parrots and...and...and...what else Aiden?

Quinn: Meerkats, and there was a hole you can go through and there was glass...

Aiden: ...like a glass dome...

Luca: ...and you put your head up in it and everyone can see you and the meerkat come and they’re running around your head.

What was your favourite animal there?

Luca: Meerkat.

Aiden: Black caiman.

Quinn: Black caiman.

Aiden: Cause it’s camouflaged.

Quinn: Cause it looks so awesome.

Aiden: Cause if I was a crocodile I would probably BE a black caiman.

Well maybe you’ll be a black caiman in your next life!

Aiden [stops, looks at me]: Do we actually HAVE a next life?

I don’t know, but some people believe we do.

Aiden: [making his mind up]: I think we do.

Would you like to have a pet crocodile?

Aiden: No!

Luca and Quinn: Yes!

Luca: Can you even GET a pet crocodile?

Quinn: [getting excited]: We can put it into a cage and we need some meat for it.

Luca: And it needs water. That would be MY BEST PET. And I’m gonna have that crocodile. It gonna be MINE.

What name would you give it?

Quinn: Nuke

Luca: No, Bobby.

Quinn: No, Duke.

Luca: Duke of Marlborough! [laughs]

Finally, what do you give Crocodiles of the World out of 10?

Aiden: 10

Quinn: 100.

Luca: 159 out of 10.

Visit Crocodiles of the World's website here. They are holding their first CrocFest UK on Saturday 15th October 2016.