BOONE COUNTY, MO -- He claims to own the tamest alligator on the planet earth.
Ken “The Alligator Man” Henderson is traveling across the country with tent full of unusual pets.
Henderson calls his 18-year-old, 100 pound alligator “Babe”. She wears the title of tamest alligator on the planet earth. Ken and Babe set up their tent at the Boone County Fair as they travel across the country.
“She was raised with humans all of her life," Henderson said. "If you raise your pets with humans and give them lots of love, I don’t care what, even polar bears, they are going to be very tame toward humans. I call her a humagator. She doesn’t know she’s an alligator.”
Ken said he tries to educate people about alligators and other animals by allowing them to pet, touch and feel creatures that we normally fear.
Ken has more than 40 alligators in his show. Obviously, Babe is the biggest of them all.
Babe is also the most popular attraction at this reptile show. However, Nancy McKenzie and her grandson Reese and granddaughter Elana prefer 5-year-old Spike. McKenzie let Spike the alligator sit on the top of her head.
“I hope he didn’t go to the bathroom on me," the brave grandmother said. "That’s Gatorade! Gatorade, right! That has electrolytes and everything.”
Ken Henderson said he wants people to get over their fears of alligators and animals. Ken said he’s never seen Babe or any of his pets attack or bite a human. In fact, he said the most common human contact is a big smooch on the lips. Ken kisses Babe on the mouth at least three times a day.
Ken Henderson is a member of the Global Environmental Education Foundation.
That organization tries to bring humans and animals closer together.
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