My Journey With Health And Fitness – Dealing With Wildlife
Holy cow have we had thunderstorms come through the past couple days. Yesterday there was lightening and a thunderclap right about our building. Both my husband and I nearly jumped out of our seats! Today when I went out for my walk I noticed some flashes in the sky but I could still see stars so thought I was probably ok. By time I was heading back to the condo the thunder and lightening had started and I was wondering if I would make it before the storm started which I did but it was a good one that went on for quite awhile.
When I start out on my morning walk in Mexico it is usually around 5:45am so it is dark. I am always cognizant that I am going to see wild animals. Now some of them are pretty harmless. For example, the deer. The worst experience I have had with a deer is when one came crashing out of the jungle near me. I scared it, it scared me, we both kind of screamed and it ran back into the jungle. Next is the sereque or agouti which is a bit hard to describe. They are a type of rodent that kind of looks like a large rat with a flat nose who runs on skinny back legs that are longer than their front legs. They don’t bother you and are sort of funky to look at.
Then there are the coatis. Those are the Mexican raccons which really only resemble our raccons in that they have a striped tail and something similar to a fur mask. They actually are reddish brown, long and narrow and have a couple of really big thick claws for their tree climbing. Like raccoons these guys are known as garbage feeders and can open up pretty much any locked garbage can. They also tend to travel in large packs with some adults leading the way followed by the babies (ok, they are cute) but there is always a couple of the older, large males at the back making sure eveyone is safe. I always stop and let the group cross and front of me and don’t move until the ones at the back join the rest of the family. These are not the ones that are the problem, it is the ones that aren’t with a family.
I am finding it is getting worse in the mornings while I try to feed the kitties as in a few areas there are a couple of coatis that will do anything to take the kittie food. Now I try and defend my kitties so that they can at least get something to eat but these coatis seem to get braver every day. I had previously at the recommendation of a friend carried mini-marshmallows to distract them but now they are just getting greedy so I have had to up my game. I got a cheap water pistol and filled it with vinegar which I would spray at them. The problem is I had to get close to them for it to be effective. I also have been trying some hairspray the sound of which has them scurrying away but unfortunately they then try to sneak back. Now I carry marshmallows, hairspray and a big stick.
It is taking a lot of work to hold these guys back but I am determined to make sure my kitties get at least some food. My husband laughs at me because I wear my water belt but only one side has water, the other contains the can of hairspray. I look like a weird cowboy with a holster but still I’m protecting myself and the kitties.
The one animal I am happy not to have seen here is a jaguar and I hope that continues though I wouldn’t mind seeing the monkies again.
