Swamp Thing: The Jolie-Pitts Go Gator Gawking

Wonderwall, Friday, March 25, 2011, 12:47pm (PDT)

By Kat Giantis

Life as one of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's kids sure seems like a whirligig of fun, what with the epic hide-and-seek sessions at the family's French chateau and the yummy gelato stops in Venice.

The camera-hounded clan's latest adventure: a Louisiana swamp tour.

Last weekend, the megastars treated Maddox, 9, Pax, 7, Zahara, 6, Shiloh, 4, and 2-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne to a cruise through the Honey Island Swamp outside their adopted hometown of New Orleans, where Brad has been filming the drama "Cogan's Trade."

"Brad and Angelina really enjoyed themselves," the general manager of Cajun Encounters swamp tours shares with People magazine. "They didn't want any special treatment. They just wanted an adventure with the family."

The tykes "got a kick out of the alligators," says the staffer, who adds that they were particularly thrilled when the boat captain gunned it. "They're kids; they love going fast."

They also love getting up close (but not too close) and personal with hungry reptiles.

"When the guide stopped to feed the alligators, one rose out of the water and snapped," a spy recalls to Us Weekly. "The boys were so excited, jumping out of their seats!"

Brad, looking hot in a Steve McQueen-reimagined-as-a-hipster kind of way, graciously posed with a Cajun Encounters employee, a photo the company proudly posted on its website, along with a glowing report about their own encounter with the ridiculously famous family.

"As you would expect, they were very gracious and perfect guests on the tour," gushes a staffer. "We can't thank them enough for their visit, and for what Brad has done for New Orleans through the Make it Right Foundation."

You'll recall that Pitt established Make It Right in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to help build affordable and environmentally friendly housing.

In 2007, Brad and Angelina plunked down $3.5 million for a massive six-bedroom mansion in the French Quarter. Earlier this week, the stars obliged camped-out paparazzi by emerging from their sprawling pad to go for a stroll with their brood to a nearby deli.

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