Lion Hunting in Africa vs Cozumel

[Dave Dillehay]

On the subject of Grouper I'd like to add a comment. Back when feeding the groupers and eels was a requirement of every entertaining DM, I got lots of chances to get close and personal with the groupers. They would look you in the eye, let you pet them and I know for sure that they are very much like my beloved yellow lab. Since then I could never eat grouper as it would be like someone above stated "it would be like eating the friendly dog who followed you home". I am very serious, groupers are much like nice dogs and I could never kill one or heaven forbid eat one. I know many don't care but they are also a declining specie. STOP But i love other fish, especially lion fish!

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[tomfcrist]

So your affection toward groupers stems from irresponsible interaction by an entire island full of tourist hungry DMs? Yup, that makes all groupers worldwide the equivalent of aquarium fish....not so much. For what it's worth, you can do that with any animal...you know...humanize it. They are still animals though...and tasty ones.

 

[DandyDon]

Most people don’t know it, but dog meat was once a typical dish on Cozumel.

I've heard rumors of dog meat in Mexican food for many decades. I understand that there is little similarity between northern Mexico and the Yucatan peninsula, but some trends are shared.

Other stories suggest that dog eating goes back to the Aztecs, Toltecs, Mayans, etc. There's really quite a bit of evidence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_(dog)

The Maya raised a breed of small, fat dog called the techichi.

Now, I've heard that some still do, feeding them corn tortillas - which would fatten up any mutt striving for enough protein - with the intent of eating them? I guess you can hear anything.

Various sites claim the Techichi as the ancestor for Chihuahua? One site claims they still exist, as deer head Chihuahua? About Techichi Dogs | Mystery of My Hairless Chihuahua I've always though the deer heads were much easier to get along with, but the apple heads are more common around here - real ankle biters!

The Xolo looks like a fine breed. Some reports say they've been around for a few thousand years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Hairless_Dog

---------- Post added August 2nd, 2015 at 11:33 PM ----------

Haha, many news reports have come thru claiming a Xolo as the mythical Chupacabra - and here's another one...!! KRIS 6 News - Chupacabra Found Alive in South Texas? | Facebook

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Tom,

I beg to differ with you. I have been in the water here for 23 years, the first 10 interacting almost daily with groupers and a lot of other "fish". For those who had been to Cozumel in the 90s, feeding the groupers was an obligatory job of the DMs. But we never fed them Cheeze Wiz, always fresh cut fish. For you to call me irresponsible would apply to every DM who worked for a living then. I did not humanize the groupers, they have "Labradorized" themselves. I've seen collective hunting, much like dolphins do. I've seen Nassau groupers in Little Cayman hunt with DMs who point out Squirrel Fish (they used to call him "Big Ben" but he was a peanut compared to ours. Indeed I am sure that Groupers have an intellect similar to your smarter dogs. But if you have only been killing them you certainly wouldn't know. I pity your loss.

Also, for the record, I am not a tree hugger or PETA freak, but a Texan that is happy to hunt, fish for other things…but never will eat a Labrador Retriever or Grouper. I for one, know better.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS BTW, I am glad the National Park banned the Feeding, but it did give me the chance to "humanize" groupers!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Lions on Cozumel? Cougars, maybe.

 

[ggunn]

Lions on Cozumel? Cougars, maybe.

Actually, years ago there was a pair of lions in the little zoo at Casa Mission. I heard that they got out during a hurricane (Wilma, maybe?) and had to be hunted down but I don't know what eventually became of them.

 

[El Graduado]

Actually, years ago there was a pair of lions in the little zoo at Casa Mission. I heard that they got out during a hurricane (Wilma, maybe?) and had to be hunted down but I don't know what eventually became of them.

Two different stories melded into one. Check out these links:

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/073002/met_10046701.html#.VcEsve9REqR

http://www.maast.org/archive/index.php/t-27488.html?

 

[ggunn]

Two different stories melded into one. Check out these links:

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/073002/met_10046701.html#.VcEsve9REqR

http://www.maast.org/archive/index.php/t-27488.html?

From the first story: "Brittany, her mother, Penny Pilcher, and 15-year-old sister, Ashley Regelski, were in the midst of a weeklong group scuba-diving trip and were at the Parrilla La Mision in Cozumel for dinner on Wednesday night when the attack happened."

That much is in error; the lions were at Casa Mission, not Parilla Mission.

 

[Lorenzoid]

From the first story: "Brittany, her mother, Penny Pilcher, and 15-year-old sister, Ashley Regelski, were in the midst of a weeklong group scuba-diving trip and were at the Parrilla La Mision in Cozumel for dinner on Wednesday night when the attack happened."

That much is in error; the lions were at Casa Mission, not Parilla Mission.

Maybe the techichi dog was at Parilla La Mision? Now I'm getting my stories mixed up.

 

[El Graduado]

That much is in error; the lions were at Casa Mission, not Parilla Mission.

Correct.

Researching newspaper articles often provide interesting details into a past event, but these articles usually contain a few inaccuracies since the reporter is almost always writing about an event he didn't witness and trying to meet a deadline! However, they do often record details that can be followed up (like the name of the victim) which most people would not remember today.