Man who sleeps with alligators seeks to ensure the well-being of hundreds of wild animals

His neighbors have dogs and cats, but when the animal lover Philippe Gillet, 72 years old, He sits down to watch television, there is usually an alligator sleeping next to him. His bungalow in western France also houses a poisonous Gabonese viper, a spitting cobra, a python, alligator turtles that can bite off a finger, tarantulas and scorpions.

When an unknown person enters Gillet’s living room, Gator, a six-foot-long alligator, growls under a coffee table. “Calm down”Gillet said and Gator went back to sleep near Alli, another sleeping alligator.

“When there is a storm, he comes to sleep in my bed“Gillet said.”People think I’m crazy“.

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Videos of similar episodes and other everyday stories about his deadly collection of 400 animals have turned Gillet into a social media star. They also promote their charity Inf’Faune, which aims to educate people about the animals they are so passionate about.

Where did your love for animals come from?

Philippe Gillet lived in Africa for 20 years, working as a hunting guide. He said he often hunted crocodiles there to keep them away from the villages. Back to France, He became a herpetologist, a specialist in reptiles and amphibians. He settled in Coueron, west of Nantes, with his partner, his children and the animals.

In the garden is Nile, a Nile crocodile, which Gillet said was “one of the most dangerous species.” The chickens wandered around scratching in search of food. Most of the animals were bought or given away by people who could no longer care for them.. France’s customs department has also used it on occasion.

“You can’t just release them“Gillet said.”With global warming, the released cobras could reproduce and spread. Is that what we are going to leave to our children?“.

Economic crisis

Since the coronavirus epidemic, financing your passion has become a problem. His association could no longer organize open houses to raise funds and show the animals to the public. That used to generate 100,000 euros (more than 460 million Colombian pesos) a year.

Now his videos on social media are the main way he spreads the conservation message.

Choose a different animal for each video, mixing education and humor “pto demystify legends and prejudices about wild animals“.

Inf’Faune amassed 100,000 followers on YouTube in its first four months and now has 200,000. Gillet also has 700,000 followers on TikTok. The income allows Gillet and the 20 volunteers who help him feed the animals.

But Gillet is still worried about the future as he ages.

“Alligators can live up to 100 people on average and Allia and Gator have around 30. Volunteers will have to take care of“, said.

He is already training volunteers in animal care and wants to create a specialized reptile shelter away from the suburbs, where there would be less need for cages and pens.

Thanks to his followers on the Internet, Gillet has already raised 15,000 euros (about 70 million Colombian pesos) for the center. “There are shelters for dogs and cats, why not for these unloved species?“.

Read also: Authorities were going to rescue an alligator from a trail and got a funny surprise