MY DWARF CAIMAN ALMOST DIED (I Was Heartbroken)

This to me is a heartbreaking video documentation of what happens when things go wrong, very wrong! I've raised 2.1 Dwarf Caiman that grew up together and have bred 11 plus times. The largest male - Big Daddy went nutzo and really hurt his girlfriend and his brother. The worst happened to Jasmine and this is what we did to SAVE her!
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Kevin McCurley
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New England Reptile
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Andy Gabbard
/ andygabbs
/ andygabbs

[@rosendopenalverIII]

Maybe Big Daddy could go to the LegaSea aquarium to live out his days as an ambassador...

[@easybreezy4559]

I thought the same, or maybe TylerNolan… I watch all the reptile people lol… Kenan has a male or I’d have suggested him

[@tracysweatt5401]

That would be a really cool and beautiful way to honor Kevin and Brian''s friendship. No matter where he ends up, I know Kevin will ensure he's with someone that is knowledgeable and capable of giving him a good home.

[@easybreezy4559]

@@tracysweatt5401 yeah and they won’t have many gators to carry much longer, so it’d be helpful but yeah… wishing him the best

[@katlady567]

Poor Yasmine. 🥺 It’s heartbreaking to see her little stumps. I’m glad she’s been healing well with Barbara’s TLC.

[@beckyjo8745]

Maybe the LEGASEA could take him or Kenan or Tyler ?? Poor yazmen!

[@katelyncourtright866]

Omg the pain in your voice about killed me 😓😓 poor baby. Their enclosure is beautiful, they look so healthy and gorgeous. You can just feel how much you love ur animals here. I'm so glad ur girl made it. What a horrible experience. Thank u Barbara for everything u did for her! Not all heros wear capes....

[@willowashe]

I’m so relieved Jasmine made it through. Thank you to Barb for providing such wonderful care for her. (Andy’s camera work has been great as well!)

[@hillaryupperman6935]

Thankfully she made it. Animals can sometimes have unpredictable behavior and we all know you are a veteran reptile keeper and always do the best for your animals. Thank you for sharing and we hope Yasmin continues to heal up and Big Daddy finds a good home.

[@darcieclements4880]

It goes to show you why cohabbing is something only really experienced people should do. And Kevin counts as that really experienced person. I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying and upsetting and incident like this would be because it is pretty darn rare. I used to take care of some of these at a zoo as a volunteer for a couple of years and they were never an issue. It's very common to keep them together in an enclosure. But I was always told keep an eye on them even though they never bother you because you never know when they're just going to have a freak out episode for no reason. I never experienced a problem, and we never had issues with them fighting with each other, but one of them was missing part of a foot from an incident that had happened more than a decade earlier. Animals on display are a little bit higher risk because you don't know what guests might have done to add stress out of the blue. We may never know what triggered the attack in this particular case. He talks about there being warning signs so maybe in the future he'll be more cautious if he gets any of those, but minor squabbles are pretty normal so this is just one of those difficult and darker parts of keeping. Anyhow this is why I still don't recommend cohabitation for people that are new with animal keeping just because this type of thing can happen. It actually even seen it happen quite a bit in dogs when people don't do crate training to keep them separated when they're out of the house. I don't know if it's because there's more dogs in the world, but I see it happen a heck of a lot more in dogs than I do in crocodilians.

[@jennfursketeer2323]

Two of my turtles lived together peacefully for somewhere around 10-15yrs and then suddenly one started to become aggressive which caused a thankfully not severe (but still upsetting to me) injury to the other, so I had to separate them. I now have three turtle tanks instead of two and it stalled my upgrade plans but they’re much happier. It’s so hard when things like this happen, I hope Jasmine continues to heal and figures out how to manage with her missing toes! Reptiles and animals in general are amazingly resilient. Sending lots of healing vibes!!!

[@lisamaxwell5272]

That was so sad on many levels. I'm glad you had Barbara who took good care of Jamine. She's looking good.

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

Does the Legasea Aquarium need a male dwarf Caiman? Or maybe another facility, Kamp Kenan, something like that? I'm sorry Kevin, I know you're Caiman are a pride and joy of yours, these things happen though and these animals are such awesome survivors. So glad she pulled through, and I bet she won't hardly even notice the injuries once healed, it's amazing what they can move on from in the wild let alone in quality captive situations.

[@YochevedDesigns]

As soon as I saw that little foot, I just burst into tears. I am so, so sorry that you are dealing with this. My heart is breaking with you, and I am sending my best wishes to everyone involved. Kevin, I never thought I would have such an emotional reaction to a crocodilian, but you and your work have really touched my heart.

[@Erica-PlaneSnakes]

It never ceases to amaze me how resilient reptiles are. They are incredible! So sorry you had to go through that but I'm glad she is doing ok!

[@caughtafaygo]

Wow and beautiful enclosure! Very cool! Props to Barb too! Love seeing her back in some vids !

[@NewEnglandReptile]

Glad you enjoyed it! She was an awesome care giver! Bug help!

[@skydivegrl77]

So so crazy, and heart wrenching! I know it's near impossible not to blame yourself, I've been there not fun... Especially when you're trying to do something positive for them. She IS healing SO well tho! It's truly amazing, they're such resilient creatures! Thoughts and prayers for both of you, and of course Barb!! ❤❤❤

[@alithorstad6206]

Despite our best, things happen. I wish you well and hope Jasmine continues on the mend. The thing is to learn and move forward. Would have, could have, and should haves don't matter. What matters is Jasmine's quality of life. Hugs to you all!

[@susanmartin3762]

🤣😅 The way she just let's her head drop after eating a mouse... like that exhausted her and she needs a break!😅 she's so adorable!! They sure are tough!

[@mookinbabysealfurmittens]

I thought that too, but managed to catch Kevin saying she's taking a drink of water right after each rat. Though idr if what he added was that she "always does" or "always has". Makes me feel better to know. Seeing her little paw in his hand made me tear up! At least she's healed well and eating well too. Poor sweetheart.

[@mookinbabysealfurmittens]

But of course I agree she's super adorable! Even without her front paws. I hope it's not still painful to have to walk with those healed-over legs, without paws, where skin healed over bone! ;_;

[@pepperlee2313]

Thank you for showing us this video. Jasmine is a tough resilient girl and you guys did a great job healing her.

[@tracysweatt5401]

I'm so sorry to hear about this awful experience. Barb truly was an absolute godsend in this situation! You're a true rockstar Barb, and Kevin is truly lucky to have such an amazing friend, employee, and animal caretaker. Glad to hear though that despite everything she went through, she's doing alright.

[@ChiaraMainolfi]

This had me in tears! You did a good job by restricting Jasmine’s mobility. Could the size of the new enclosure have made them more territorial? Also have you considered when she is healed putting on a type of prosthetic? My friend’s Eagle lost a back talon and he made one for Kaiser. Kevin this isn’t on you! We cannot read their minds only their behaviors. I’m sorry you have to rehome Big Daddy.

[@darcieclements4880]

My guess is the smaller male tried to mate with the female and the larger male realized what was going on and did not approve.

[@lyrieth8833]

I am sorry this happened but, I am glad she was able to be saved. Barbara is a reptile angel!

[@beccapenny]

I'm so relieved Yasmin made it, but I can't imagine the horror of having one animal so terribly injured and having to rehome another 😢

[@johninnh4880]

OMG Kevin that must have been so hard for you! Hopefully you can make some lemonade out of those lemons. You have given them so much love and it must be so hard for you to be "Rewarded" with THIS! Lets hope time will heal these wounds.

[@derekstockton8943]

Really great video, I loved seeing the journey and glad that it is going to work put for her. These animals are special to us and I cant imagine one getting hurt like this, so my thoughts are with you. I have had a few gecko incidents (Chahoua) but nothing this severe. Will like seeing her as she continues to heal.

[@kassy5529]

I'm so sorry Kevin 😔 I hope this isn't the end of her story and that she continues to get better

[@Valyndris]

That's horrific! I'm so sorry this happened, that must've been so traumatizing for you to find. I'm glad Yasmin's recovering, Barb took good care of her. Horny animals be crazy, it sucks you have to rehome big daddy, you've raised him for so long. Gotta do what you gotta do though. I had to rehome my macaw I had for 19 years for his own well-being, I know the feeling.

[@evelynjolliff2799]

Thank god shes ok,Shes absolutely beautiful

[@bethannyallain5395]

That poor little girl.!!! I can emphasize with her. I broke a toe in April and it hurt so much to walk on that foot. She must have been inso much pain with both feet missing. What do you give caimans for pain control and how do you get into them? I am so glad she has gotten so much better under Barb's careful loving care. Did they have enough places hide in their enclosure so they could get away from Big Daddy? Keep getting better Yasmine.!!! BTW Andy is a great addition. You me, Kevin, will watch any film you put up. I always learn something every time.🤗🤗🤗🐊🐊

[@BoRaiChoWins]

Poor girl, 😢 I’m glad she is doing better.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

Oh my…how awful for you, Barbara and for Jasmine and the staff. Poor Jasmine, she’s really suffered…treating animals for severe injury is so emotionally difficult because you can’t explain why you’re making them hurt while treating them…it’s hard enough with adult humans. I can’t imagine seeing that happen among beloved animals. I am amazed by the ability of crocodilians to heal. Barbara is a wonderful caregiver. You would have had no way to know ahead of time what would happen in the larger enclosure. It could have in the old enclosure as well. Sometimes even the most socialized animal will suddenly revert to aggressive behavior. Try not to blame yourself…that even was a severe emotional trauma for you as well…please be kind to yourself.

[@gilhelguera]

What a bummer...I'm glad she's healing well.

[@kristenvincent3622]

Thank you for waiting until you had her healed up enough to share this. Heartbreaking.

[@xturtlex84]

Unfortunately, these things happen. Kenan just went through this too. You cannot predict how an animal is going to react to a new environment. You are doing the best you can. I can tell you were really upset too. Your voice changes. Like you can hardly get the words out. Im just glad you were able to save everyone.❤❤❤

[@thespacebehindmyeyes5110]

Oh, no! Kevin I am so sorry you had to go through this. (All of your NERD family, too.) Seeing that little foot in your hand and hearing the sadness in your voice broke my heart. Poor Jasmine. She's lucky to have you all giving her the great care she needed to come through this. Big hugs and good vibes to everyone involved.

[@wraith1320]

I’m so sorry that this happened... 😢 I really do wish animals could understand what’s happening when we’re trying to help them. It’s always so heartbreaking trying to administer necessary medications… She’s looking so much better, though! Here’s wishing a smooth recovery for both!

[@spacebrain2365]

Sorry that I’m so sorry that happened. What a beautiful beautiful reptile. Hope she does well.

[@vichellebd]

So sorry. 😢 Nature is brutal. Barbara is a gem.

[@lisafosc]

Aww Kevin, I'm so sorry this has happened. I cant only imagine how devastating this was for you. I'm so pleased that you know how to nurse your animals back to health, its amazing how well Yasmin has managed to recover under your knowledgeable care. I hope that you manage to find the best home for Big Daddy, its going to be such a sad time when the time comes for you to let him go, for other people this will be like rehoming a beloved dog or a child. Who ever gets to have him in their lives will be so lucky, you put so much work into your animals.

[@susanmartin3762]

That Lil doll is just hanging out on your arm while you are talking❤

[@littlegirlinplad]

You and your team are amazing as always.

[@h.o.j2375]

Such a heart breaking video to watch. I’m so glad the girls are recovering.

[@natashabeanecharlesmclean1932]

😢 so sorry for what happened to her. Good job fixing her up ❤

[@melissadanielle629]

Beautiful creatures! Im glad you were able to share this with us! ❤

[@Ricki_Raquel]

I cried with you when I saw the damage. I'm so sorry that happened. I'm glad she's alive and mostly recovered. Big Daddy is a jerk for that, but my goodness, he's magnificent.

[@mizzstrawberry_]

Awww Kev that was a horrendous situation poor girl and you had to endure 😢 I am so glad to see her on the mend and Kevin you can’t let yourself feel guilty. You’re doing the best for your animals and these things happen. Just remember she’s ok. Try not to beat yourself up. Lots of love sent your way 😊

[@PamelaBos]

I am so sorry this happened to you and your Caymen. Prayers to you both and healing prayers to yazman. 🙏🙏🙏

[@BettyRobinson-gg5tz]

I'm so sorry about what you're going through!! You're such a great guy!!! Unfortunately stuff happens. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😘😘😘😍😍😍😍🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊 I love you💖! Thanks for sharing!!! Keep up with the fantastic work!!!

[@ChantalsCritters]

Wow poor girl. Great video

[@kagehikari4281]

Oh man, that looked horrific! I love dwarf caiman and to see them like that is heartbreaking. Thank goodness she was able to recover ok, what a little trouper! Got to laugh though, at thoes monitors at the end, begging like puppies for attention at the doors

[@GrapeApe2018]

At least she can still tell the world that she is number 1. Sorry, as a nurse of 30+ years, all we have left is dark humor. She is still beautiful, and we all can see, she really is your no. 1 girl.

[@Ozz465]

Thx for sharing , Had to watch half and half later , NGL made me emotional watching Jasmine .

[@kathleenedwards8472]

She’s the Fonz now! Aayyy! ❤ So happy she’s recovering and so sorry for the stress and emotional damages, Kevin. Thank you for this content. It’s so fun to see things I never have the ability to encounter in my day to day life.

[@cynthialbell9023]

Hi Kevin I am so sorry about what happened to your female dwarf caimen. I hope that Jasmine will be ok. I am so glad that Barbara was able to take care of her. It must have been a nightmare for you to see one of your babies attacked so viciously, and have her front feet bitten off. I am glad that thou will be able to find a new home for Big Daddy. I am sure that under your, and Barbara's care she will be fine. Cindy

[@CinnaSpicey]

Thank you for sharing this. Im sorry that this happened to you. Im glad there was a nice recovery. Big daddy should be donated to the legacy aquarium

[@karliechardi2229]

Poor Yasmin. I'd have ptsd and trust issues too after having my feet ripped off. She looks much better now though.

[@deaniseshewokis3315]

Wow, that was some horrendous wounds. You have done amazing !! I hope she gets her loving nature back soon. I hope you put BigDaddy in time out.

[@edierodegerdts506]

Kevin, I am so sorry for this sad event. I know you love your animals so much. and this has hurt your soul and heart. Manuka honey is and excellent healing product. you are making the best decisions.

[@tammyfrancis7856]

I’m so glad you didn’t loose any lives! We know you love your animals.

[@laurenwybacz1479]

Omg the pain poor crocodile and lucky she survived

[@robertmollanjr6928]

You and your team are always wonderful. Always putting the animals first.

[@UmbraGhostie]

I'm so sorry this happened, I hope yer baby contuines to recover well, bless her!

[@dorothykopaskey9447]

So sad. She seems to be a fighter. Barb you’ve done such a great job, I’ve heard honey is for wounds. I hope she doesn’t have PTSD.

[@patrickmeaux7095]

Thank you for sharing such an emotional story but it does allow others to see the dangers of breeding your beloved pets. I'm glad she is making such an amazing recovery.

[@dragonboy4578]

So sorry that this happened. It is horrible. I do have to give you a lot of credit though. You opened yourself up to a lot of criticism by showing this, yet you did and took responsibility for it. I am glad your girl is doing better. Incidents like this show is that even with the amount of knowledge and experience you have things do go wrong, and that we all must stay vigilant with our animals.

[@RyanSweatt-yr7vw]

Oh man Kevin, that’s a tough one for sure. Unfortunately despite our best efforts it can happen though, even with the best of animals. She’s a survivor for sure and it definitely shows how resilient crocodilians are when faced with such trauma. I’m glad she’s on the mend though.

[@woodlily651]

My heart breaks for you Kevin and Jasmine. Thank you Barb for your unwavering dedication. I am so glad Jasmine and Opus are recovering. I feel it was really important for you to show Big Daddy being interacted with as it reinforces what you said about him being a great socialized animal. Unfortunately this happened. As you mentioned Jasmine has been through so much she couldn't understand with the injury and now all the care. My question is, as she heals and Barb and yourself no longer has to treat her medically is there anything different you will do with your threads of trust? All your interactions you showed demonstrate all the behaviors and approaches you talk about. You recently had a video out about a snake that you regained trust with but this is a different situation as Barb and yourself have had to medically treat her.

[@sherkylady7765]

The recuperative powers of reptiles is amazing. Plus, good care leads to great results. Happy to see her healing very nicely.

[@dingodinkelman]

Sorry to hear my buddy

[@bettymorgan4737]

I'm so sorry. 😢

[@caughtafaygo]

Much love Kevin I appreciate your time and effort immensely. 🤘 CFH 🤘

[@NewEnglandReptile]

Much appreciated. Thank you. I was rather worried she was gonna die and didn’t film her when she was crashing as I felt this could be the end.

[@1965KareBear]

I would send Big Daddy to LegaSea aquarium or down to Florida to Tyler or Chanler. I'm glad Jasmine survived. Job well done Barbara and thank you for saving her for Kevin.

[@paranoiarpincess]

Aw hunny, I'm so sorry.

[@paranoiarpincess]

Poor baby girl, she looks so much better, and you did the right thing Kevin. You weren't able to handle the situation, so you passed it off to someone who was. It's hard to see the ones we live hurting and more often than not, it's better for someone not quite as close to the being be the one to help them because when you're that close not only is it difficult to be objective, emotions can get in the way, and stress and panic can set in. Try not to think that by not handling her recovery yourself, you are in any way in the wrong, because what mattered the most is that she got removed from the danger, and was given treatment; regardless of who administered either, both tasks were done and done well. ❤

[@foxiepoxi9245]

Awww my heart hurts for her too.

[@sandywalter9728]

Wow! Her feet... that's tragic!!!😢

[@Thurston86]

Oh, Kevin! 😢 That must’ve been so awful for you! I’m glad she made it. I hope you don’t blame yourself too much. Hang tough, Kev (and Jasmine, of course)! Keep on keepin on! ❤ from 🇨🇦

[@hootilyhoot]

Ugh. Im so sorry. Heartbreaking.

[@cocozimme]

This video broke my heart.

[@StLMikie]

Thanks for the class Mr. Kevin!! I think she’ll heal. I’ve witnessed some animals in the wild that have sustained such heinous injuries that have healed. Its pretty unbelievable how resilient these reptiles can be.

[@blackkittycat15]

You don't see the ones in the wild that die, which is a lot more often than the ones that live. Kevin and Barbara doing an amazing job giving her the care she needed.

[@StLMikie]

@@blackkittycat15 well actually I do see the ones that have died in the wild. It’s not uncommon to see a dead gator or croc. Regardless of that, Mr. Kevin and Ms. Barbara are doing the best they can. I’m confident that this little girl will still live a long productive life thanks to them.

[@gazv8615]

Captive bred or not, socialised or not, animals are territorial and fight. It’s natural and considering the experience you guys have I’m so shocked that you couldn’t have seen this coming.

[@Loki_FPV666]

That is so sad but I'm glad she had the team there at NERD to take good care of her and nurse her back to health.

[@ravenswisp813]

Poor girl, hopefully you can get her trust back so she doesn't panic when you pick her up.

[@crooksidewood]

Kevin, we know this happens in the wild, would this kill them in the wild? So glad you shared this. I think it's very important for everyone to see all sides of owning and caring for any animals!! Thank you!!

[@rebeccareese73]

they went from a smaller neutral, known situation to a larger unknown one and big daddy became the dom male. you wanted to give them a better, bigger home and had no way of knowing this would happen. big hugs and much love to big daddy, opus and jasmine. big hugs to you. big hugs and many thanks to barbara.

[@DanielDook]

Love your channel Kevin your awesome sending ❤ from a cool breezy East Yorkshire UK....

[@skyediona1781]

Poor baby😢❤

[@Crazycaimanlady]

Nooooo 😭 Turbos mom

[@PhillyDaKid1976]

That’s crazy! You would think the smaller enclosure would be where something like that would happen,I’m glad she’s ok crocodilians are so tough any other animal would have probably passed away. 😢Ps you are the best Kev 🫡the🐐of🐍🐢🦎🐊

[@KingKyrool]

Man it just happens with animals sometimes... you never know what goes through the mind until one day it happens. I am glad yasmin is doing good, poor thing might not have front feet but crocodilians are very strong creatures. Im just glad shes not mentally scarred as well.

[@pixie706]

Thanks so much Barb you are a star and Kevin's saviour. Human error may have been the instigator as two males plus one female equals problems in most species. Hopefully this lovely creature will breed again in peace.

[@Peace.In.Reptiles]

Happens dude don’t kick yourself in the a.. to hard your trying new things for the better unfortunately mistakes happen. Not like you knew this would happen. I personally will never attack people for trying to do better things❤️

[@OG_Unlucky]

id sugest the lega sea because they have alot of experienced with caimen ad aligators and plus they could get a whole enclouser for them to live there days.

[@nicolebrooks7181]

Poor baby 😢 ❤

[@susanmartin3762]

I'm so sorry... again. I watched this the first time. Please save her little toes. You will make something gorgeous out of it. Tie then in leather and add it to your braid! She's so sweet.

[@erindiment8426]

I am so happy she is doing better. I know that had to have been scary and heartbreaking. Maybe Noah and them at the Reptarium would want Big Daddy for the Legasea

[@cdelane3335]

This is sad. Bless her heart. Wonder why they attacked her, instead of each other?

[@MeUrWishGranted]

I feel so much worse for Kevin. She's looking great! This happens in the wild, so I don't think there's any reason to think Kevin did anything wrong. If someone gets along fine for almost 30 years, I would think they can continue to get along without issue, although that's clearly not the case.

[@BorderlandDisorder]

I know she is going to get the best quality of life with you guys. She's a tough ol' girl and rehoming Big Daddy has to be a difficult decision you had to make but despite doing the best for them you didn't know that would happen. Don't beat yourself up too much and thank you for sharing her progress and everything. A lot of reptile breeders / influencers try to hide their mistakes and faults which never ends well Im glad that you guys are open, honest, and transparent about everything. Thanks so much for this video and thank you for being a good care taker

[@zombinosh]

Poor girl 😢

[@scottuzarowski3629]

As ya know Crocodillian are quite resilient to these type of injuries. Sux she had to go through it in captivity though, but at least she was in the best possible place to be able to get through it!!

[@melodydwight8262]

Hello Kevin, he's a handsome little devil ain't he.... Blessings Kevin.... 😊😊

[@lizziefloyd4034]

What are the differences between their old enclosure vs the new one? Have you figured out what might have caused the behavior change in Big Daddy? It seems really open - was the old enclosure more closed in so it felt more secure for them? This could definitely be a great teaching case for people who are hoping to "improve" enclosures by making them bigger, when they might not always be better if certain elements are overlooked or not fully understood. Of course, it might not be linked to the enclosure at all (correlation vs causation argument), but I would love for you to follow up with some hypotheses.

[@darcieclements4880]

You mentioned it was a display case which means public can come through as well and anytime you have that the risk of something weird stressing and animal that you're not aware of always goes up.

[@johninnh4880]

Kevin any update on Jasmine? Many of us want to know how your girl is doing.

[@therealgigi_]

Ahhh I'm crushed with you,! That's horrible that the males did this! It's crazy how they get so territorial in a closed setting like this jealosy won . This little Yasmin got bullied . This only makes her more special . She is a survivor and now she is like a Quinton Terrantino character from one of his movies. Like Rose Mcgowen character pam in Grindhouse/ Death proof ! They made a weapon to fit her missing limb. Yasmine is a 1 bad mamajama!!