Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Pets and Wildlife

14 May 2013 News 2

U.S. Expats: Meeting With Consulate May 22

Most of our expats in Yucatan have a local consulate in Merida. All of the consulate offices ask that expats and Snowbirds register with them so they can keep up with regular updates and can be helped in emergencies. This includes notification of all meetings with your respective consulates. YucatanLiving.com is a designated outlet for news from the U.S. Consulate, and as such, announces this meeting: On May 22, at 1:30 PM, there will be a meeting for U.S. citizens with their representatives from the U.S. Consulate Office. The meeting will be held at the Progreso Crew Club (Calle 82,Entrada al Viaducto Muelle Fiscal Lado Poniente). Representatives from Yucatan's state civil protection will be on hand to speak about hurricane season, the Mexican aduana (customs) and Banjercito representatives will discuss foreign car importation, and Mexican immigration will discuss the new immigration law, routine applications and procedures. All will allow for questions and answers. While an RSVP is not required, they would appreciate it if you would drop them a line at meridacons@state.gov if you plan to attend.

Valladolid: Featival for Queens of the Home

On Mother's Day afternoon, the Municipality of Valladolid invited approximately 3,000 mothers to the local ball park, where they enjoyed music, singers, refreshments and gifts. They then participated in a drawing for big prizes, such as refrigerators, stoves and washing machines. One of the best gifts they received was a speech by the President of the Municipality, in which he recognized all they do for their families and for the fabric of the municipality and state. This short festival of appreciation was an excellent idea and we hope we see many more such festivals that are dedicated to the unsung heroes and heroines in Yucatan.

Mother's Day: The Same the World Over

No matter where you go, including Yucatan, restaurants, florists, and anyone who makes anything out of chocolate can count on Mother's Day as one of the best sales days of the year. Retailers can count on young people and students to buy their mom's things like wallets and purses. As children age and their own finances improve, mothers can expect clocks, small appliances, and then large appliances and electronics. This year, evidently at the request of a few mothers in Merida, motorcycles hit the "asked for" list. Whether a mom receives a wallet or that shiny new motorcycle, we hope that every mother everywhere had a very happy Mother's Day.

Progreso: Call for Elderly Bocce Players

Yucatan's elderly folks do not rest on their laurels long. They're always deciding that there are all manner of sports they can master. This time its bocce, a ball game that is a bit like bowling outside. Until now, bocce has been a game played by Progreso's Special Olympics team, but the elderly have decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what they can do with it. On the first day, they had 35 people show up for training and are expecting more every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you would like to watch, they practice from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM, at the Morelos stadium.

Cancun: Pet Census

On May 13, the first ever pet census began in Cancun. Local social organizations,activists and entrepreneurs are working with the municipality to address the rights and needs of the animals and their families. The municipality is building a 10-vet animal hospital that is expected to be open by November . They are organizing block leaders to help families register their pets. Services available to registered individuals will include: spay/neuter, rabies vaccines, worming, out-patient surgery, dip tanks and other services. The registered pets are expected to include not only dogs and cats, but all kinds of pets, including spiders and snakes! From what we hear, this program is going on in more Quintana Roo cities than just in Cancun. If Cancun can make this happen, we hope that Merida will not be far behind. We have our fingers crossed for a huge success! While we are on the subject of Quintana Roo, we also learned that Quintana Roo just recently passed a law outlawing cruelty to animals, so now people who are convicted of such cruelty can be sent to jail. Good news!

Mexico Murder Rate Down 18%

The Mexican Ministry of the Interior has compared the rate of murder, throughout the country of Mexico, in the last five months of the last administration with the first five months of the current administration (July to November 2012 and December 2012 to April 2013). Findings showed that the murder rate, for the entire country of Mexico, is down 18%. During the first five months of this administration, over 45 million kilos of drugs (mostly marijuana and cocaine) were seized, along with hundreds of liters of the chemicals necessary to manufacture synthetic drugs. Thirteen illegal labs were shut down. This kind of news always feels a bit odd to us in Yucatan because our state never experienced a high murder rate - much less the terrible rates of crime associated with the drug war. We have always been safe in Yucatan, but we are glad to know that things are getting much better for people who live elsewhere in Mexico. We wish them continued success and, ultimately, the peace and tranquility we have here.

Campeche: Fire!

This is the hottest part of the year in Yucatan, with temperatures consistently well above the 100 degree mark and wildfires are always a possibility. This is especially true if fires come across our borders from other states. Campeche is having a terrible time right now, with thousands of acres on fire. They are hitting the fires with manpower on the ground and a helicopter in the air. The helicopter, based in Playa del Carmen, Q.R., carries a 1,200 liter bucket of water and is also used to airlift personnel when necessary. Since May 9, Campeche has lost 17 of its citizens to 14 fires that have consumed 90,000 hectares, mainly in Hopelchen, Tenabo, Campeche, Champoton and Escarcega. What makes this situation even worse is that all of these fires are of human origin. Campeche is actively searching for anyone who can be linked to these fires in any way. So far, Yucatan has been able to keep our wild fires under control, but please do keep the people of Campeche in your thoughts as they struggle with these fires.

Snake!

No need to panic, but it is always a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, especially in tropical climates. Yucatan is home to a number of species of snakes and, when it is very hot and/or very dry, they are looking for cool resting places and for fresh water. Since many of the homes in Yucatan do not have screen doors, this leaves the house open to all manner of small creatures. While it may be entertaining if a small, neighborhood cat comes in your kitchen to flirt with your non-cat-loving dog, it might not be so funny if the uninvited guest turns out to be a snake. This is what happened in Chelem last week. The boa was young and easily captured by the police, then turned over to the state ecology people. As far as we know, these incidents are few and far between, but that does not mean that one need not remain aware of one's surroundings. We hope everyone has a safe and happy summer in Yucatan - without snakes. And if you do find a snake, we encourage you not to harm it but to call the authorities.

Where Does Rescued Wildlife Go?

One story often leads to another, so it didn't take long for us to begin to wonder what would happen to that boa that was found in Chelem this past week. Happily, it will be returned to the wild, far from the possibility of human encounters, in southern Yucatan. According to the Office of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the housing boom in Yucatan, especially in the areas of Ucu and Caucel, is necessitating the rescue of all manner of wildlife, including foxes, boas, armadillos, badgers, rabbits and more. When they are picked up, they are taken to zoos and other places equipped to handle them, where their health is assessed. When they are healthy and any wounds they have are healed, they are taken to the forests in the Southern Cone of Yucatan and released. This is the same area in which you will find protected species, such as white-tailed deer, wild pigs, wild turkeys, and rabbits. When wildlife found in urban locations reach their new home, they usually are able to live out their life in peace because of the protections provided for the endangered species. This is actually a huge win for them, even if they would rather the humans had chosen a different place to build their new homes.

Update: Full Time School

When the full time school program first went into effect, like all change, there were a million reasons given as to why it wouldn't work, wasn't working, and why everything should go back the way it had been. Younger students were missing school and falling asleep in school. Then, schools realized that many of the students were staying home because they didn't have the money to buy something to eat during the longer school day. For those who did attend the full time day, falling asleep from lack of food was common. So schools began to feed the children meals that include fruit juice, and even dessert. Congratulations to the school system in Motul for recognizing and meeting the needs of their primary school students. This is a small step that can have a huge impact on the quality of all of their lives far into the future.

Evolucion's Adoption Fair and Pet Fashion Parade

This is actually an event that is listed in Yucatan Living's Events calendar, but snowbirds, potential expats and even visitors to Yucatan might be interested in what's happening at Evolución these days. One of the best means of getting the people out to raise awareness of the needs of Yucatan's pets is to hold a pet fashion parade. Attending just one of these fashion parades will convince anyone of the love the people here have for their pets. As for the pets themselves, yes, well... Diva-land is probably the best description for the stage during any pet fashion parade in Yucatan. We love it and so do the pets and their owners! This fair will include a magic show, and an opportunity to purchase identification tags, have your dog's photo taken by Ivy Rocha Photography, and purchase other treats and food for your pet. All proceeds, of course, go to help the animals.
Location: Parque de Las Americas, Av. Colon x Calle 20, Garcia Ginerés.
Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Admission: Free