Tag Archives: animals

San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel’s Oldest No-Kill Shelter: The Lifesaving Work of the S.P.A.

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By Megan Gabel—

The Sociedad Protectora de Animales de San Miguel de Allende, A.C. is the oldest no-kill shelter for cats and dogs in San Miguel de Allende. Since 1980, we have provided food, care, and a safe place for stray, abandoned, and homeless animals. Today, we are home to 35 dogs and 20 cats. Our volunteers and staff offer daily love, attention, and support to every animal in our care.

We have a lower-cost in-house clinic with a full-time veterinarian who provides medical care to our shelter animals as well as pets belonging to others in the community. The clinic is open to the public and offers puppy, kitten, and adult wellness packages to keep veterinary costs manageable.

As a no-kill shelter, the S.P.A. is committed to finding homes for all of our animals, no matter how long it takes. We encourage adoptions through a very reasonable all-inclusive adoption fee. Our adoption fee is only 600 pesos, far less than the out-of-pocket costs we incur for tests at intake alone. When we are able to accept an animal, we request a donation to help defray expenses. We are mindful that when a shelter animal is adopted, it saves two lives: the animal who goes home and the one who now has space to come in.

We warmly welcome volunteers and value their help socializing cats and dogs and taking dogs for walks. The feedback we receive from volunteers is extremely positive—they enjoy their time at the S.P.A. and are complimentary about our animals and facilities. The best way to arrange a volunteer visit is to write to info@spasanmiguel.org, so we can exchange information and schedule an interview.

Our adoption process is simple. We encourage potential adopters to explore our website (www.spasanmiguel.org) in advance to see the animals currently available. It’s helpful for us to know who caught their eye and which animals they’re most interested in meeting. Upon arrival, we begin with a brief interview to learn more about the potential adopters and what kind of life they can offer a cat or dog. We also ask what qualities they’re looking for—small, medium, or large dog; male or female; preferred age range; preferred energy level. We know our animals well and can guide adopters toward the best match. Cat adopters are then invited into the cattery, where our adoptions/volunteers coordinator helps them meet potential companions.

For dog adoptions, potential adopters sit in the Jardín, where staff bring out dogs that match their preferences. After each meeting, we ask a few questions to determine whether we’re heading in the right direction. The only time constraint is feeding time, around 1:30 p.m., when dogs are far more interested in their food than in greeting new people. Adoption hours are Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Once a cat or dog is chosen, the next step is payment of the adoption fee, an optional adoption kit (250 pesos), and an exit exam by our veterinarian. A mandatory free two-week follow-up visit is scheduled, and our Adoption Return Policy is signed.

Although we are not a rescue organization, we do work with rescuers. Maria and Yaba are examples of dogs taken in through rescue partnerships. We frequently receive Facebook messages about abandoned or mistreated animals, with people asking us to send someone out to help. As much as we would like to, the S.P.A. cannot directly intervene—we lack the personnel, finances, and, in some cases, legal authority. Space, particularly for dogs, is extremely limited, and we cannot create room when we are full.

We accept animals from rescuers and Canine Control when space allows. Beyond space, we must also consider health, adoptability, and temperament. Before admitting any animal, our veterinarian performs a thorough exam, including parvo and distemper tests for all dogs. We cannot accept feral cats, and we must assess each animal’s level of socialization before making a final decision.

Mocha and Bonnie are examples of stray dogs now safe at the S.P.A. and waiting for forever homes. Lucky and Jazmin were saved from near-certain death at Canine Control. Litters of homeless kittens—like Ollie, Diego, Zara, and Darcy—have found refuge and warmth with us.

If you encounter abandoned puppies or kittens, we can guide you. It’s a difficult situation—walking away is painful. If you choose to rescue an animal, that animal becomes your responsibility. Call us, and we will let you know if we can take one or more of the animals or offer alternatives. Even when we are full, we can add your rescues to our waiting list.

The S.P.A. is a private non-profit organization. Donations are our only source of income. We receive no government support. Our major annual fundraiser is the Pet Food Money Bank, launched each May to raise the funds needed to feed our shelter animals for the year. Thanks to our generous supporters, we have reached our goal every year since 2015.

Our clinic provides top-quality veterinary services, led by our excellent full-time veterinarian, Dr. Omar Córdova. We offer routine care (checkups and vaccinations), diagnostics, x-rays, lab work, sterilizations, other surgeries, and emergency care. The clinic is open Monday–Saturday from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., and until 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays (our discount days). Adoption hours are Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

We are located at Los Pinos 7, near the bus station. Phone: 415-152-6124
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Visit our website for a map: http://www.spasanmiguel.org
Stop by—we’d love to meet you!

Huatulco

I Heart Axolotls

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By Julie Etra

The first time I saw the salamander called axolotl(s) (Ambystoma mexicanum, aka ajolote) endemics of the remnant lakes of the Valley of Mexico and now confined to Xochimilco, was in Xochimilco at one of the tourist ‘museums’ along a main canal.

The pinkish creatures on exhibit are commercially produced, and not native to the polluted waters of Xochimilco, the wetland system in the heart of Mexico City. and they exhibit the pinkish color of domestication. Wild populations are brown/tan with gold speckles and an olive undertone. This critically endangered species lost most of its habitat centuries ago due to the draining of the valley by the conquering Spaniards, with Xochimilco now a vestige of its former self. Axolotls have a lizard-like head, described as “friendly-faced,” surrounded by feathery gills, four legs, and a tail. They range in size from 6 to 18 inches.

Cute, But Critically Endangered

The axolotl is only found in the wild in the waters of Xochimilco. A 2003 study by the Mexican Academy of Sciences found an average of 6,000 axolotls for each sq km of Xochimilco, about 1,020,000 axolotls; by 2015, it was down to 36 per sq km, or about 6,120. A more recent study found fewer than a thousand in all of the 170 square kilometers of Xochimilco.

The ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City, was founded in the early 1300s CE on an island in Lake Texcoco. Texcoco was connected with four other lakes in the Valley of Mexico, one of which was Xochimilco. After the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs in 1521, they drained much of the valley, leaving Xochimilco a vestige of its former self.

Habitat for the axolotl was sharply reduced but still existed up until about the 1950s. Since then, habitat degradation has accelerated as rapid urbanization has changed the distribution, movement, and management of water systems in the Valley.

In addition, the water system has been degraded by pollution from urban runoff and uncontrolled development, raw sewage, agricultural waste, and land use conversion, and has been reduced by drawdown of lake levels to supply water to Mexico City and the surrounding environs. Today, most of the water in Xochimilco’s canals comes from a water treatment plant in nearby Cerro de la Estrella, but supplies are inconsistent.

Predation is also a factor in the axolotl’s decline. Carp and tilapia were introduced in Xochimilco in the 1970s in an effort to increase food supplies; unfortunately, they prey on axolotl eggs and young. Loss of shade cover and food – they eat mollusks, worms, insect larvae, brine shrimp, other small crustacea, and small fish – also continue to accompany loss of habitat.

Why is it so important to “bring back” the wild axolotl? For the same reason preserving all species is important – genetic variation. As noted below, the axolotl is very important to biological research, as it is one of the few animals that can regenerate lost body parts. Commercial breeding technology reduces genetic variation, thus weakening the organism’s ability to adapt. This affects the animal’s ability to survive in the wild, and to respond to changes introduced in research.

Physiology and Morphology

This rather large salamander has a number of physiological features that make it unusual. Although it is one species of tiger salamander, it is unique in its “neoteny,” a zoological term that means the retention of juvenile features into adulthood, that is, the axolotl never undergoes metamorphosis, for example, the process of a tadpole changing to a frog. The axolotl’s gills remain external, and they retain their tail fins. Unlike other salamanders this one never makes it to land, completing its life cycle entirely in the water.

The axolotl is important for research because it has can rapidly regenerate parts of itself, making it useful for studying the potential for tissue regeneration in humans. In just a few months, they can regenerate not just their tails, but their skin, muscles, bones, blood vessels, central nervous system, heart, and brain.

What other animals can regenerate body parts? In fact, quite a few. Other species of salamanders can regenerate their tails; starfish can regenerate their “arms” and their bodies from arms; sharks regrow their teeth throughout their lives. The Mexican tetra, a fresh water fish, can regrow heart tissue. Many lizards, including iguanas, skinks, anoles, and geckos, can regenerate their tails. But none of these can do as much as the axolotl.

Despite remaining juvenile all their lives, axolotls reach sexual maturity at 17-27 months and can breed several times a year. Because their habitat is entirely aquatic – that is, no drought conditions – they can generate more offspring per breeding event (salamanders do not reproduce well, often not at all, under drought conditions). After the courtship dance, the female axolotl takes up the sperm capsule deposited by the male. Fertilized eggs are laid individually on aquatic vegetation.

The Axolotl in Mythology

The axolotl loomed large in Mexica (the Aztec group that built Tenochtitlán) mythology, and they were included in their art and creation myths. The name axolotl (from the Nahuatl atl = “water” and xólotl = “monster” or “dog”) means water monster or water dog, and is the aquatic form of Xólotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning and the twin brother of Quetzalcóatl (the feathered serpent deity).

According to Aztec legend – and there are many versions of each legend – when the sun was created, it did not move. Each god was supposed to sacrifice a body part to make the sun move and to begin life, but Xólotl did not want to sacrifice any part of himself. To hide from fellow gods (would-be assassins), Xólotl transformed himself into a variety of plants and animals, including the xoloitzcuintle, the hairless pre-Columbian dog. The axolotl was his last camouflage before he was captured and killed.

The Axolotl in Literature

An obscure short story, written in 1954, was brought to my attention by a good and extremely literate friend from Pluma Hidalgo. “Axolotl” is by the French-Argentinian writer Julio Cortázar (1914-84), and was published in his 1956 collection End of the Game and Other Stories. The story is told by a lonely man visiting the aquarium at the zoo (ménagerie) at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. He becomes fascinated and obsessed by the axolotls and eventually believes he has been transformed into one of them. Although I read it in English, I found it to be dark and depressing, and overly descriptive. (Available through the University of Kentucky at http://www.ambystoma.uky.edu/teachers_materials/axolitbook/AxolotlByJulioCortazar.html.)

Another read is Axolotiada: Vida y mito de un anfibio mexicano (Axolotiada: Life and Myth of a Mexican Amphibian), by Mexican anthropologist Roger Bartra Murià (2011). An anthology of works about the famous amphibian, the book includes texts from the Mesoamerican codices to the work of authors such as Cortázar, Satoshi Tajir, Aldous Huxley (“A Fetal Monkey”), Primo Levi (“Angelical Butterfly”) and Octavio Paz (“Salamandra”), among others, along with graphics from street graffiti to the scientific illustrations of landscape painter José María Velasco and the murals of Diego Rivera.

Axolotls for the Laboratory

The majority of commercially-bred axolotls in the world today trace their ancestry to a shipment of 34 axolotls from Xochimilco to Paris in 1863, delivered to the zoo at the Museum of Natural History, the very place that inspired Cortázar to write his strange tale. The amphibian is easy to breed in captivity and prolific. Animals were then supplied to various labs throughout Europe for research purposes.

Axolotls came from Europe to the US in 1935; five of those eventually made it into the hands of Dr. Rufus R. Humphrey, who bred more at the University of Buffalo. When he retired in 1957, Humphrey and his axolotls moved to Indiana University (the axolotls arrived in Bloomington by truck). When the head of the Indiana lab retired in 2005, the US axolotl collection relocated to the University of Kentucky and became the Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center (AGSC), but the genetic material has apparently bottlenecked from inbreeding. Thus the importance of saving the wild axolotl population in Xochimilco.

The Icon

The salamander has become so popular that in addition to being kept as pets, it recently won a 2017 contest to develop an “emoji pack” to represent Mexico City. There’s a Frida Kahlo axolotl, a Mexican flag axolotl wrapped in a snake, etc., etc.

If you look online in Mercado Libre or Amazon Mexico, or pretty much anywhere, you’ll find multiple axolotl accessories, particularly for children – charms, stuffed animals (peluche), coloring books. There are tee shirts for adults, not to mention beer (www.monstruodeagua.mx/)! In 2022, the Bank of Mexico issued a new 50-peso bill with a depiction of the now iconic salamander among the chinampas of Xochimilco on one side. On February 1, 2023 (National Axolotl Day in Mexico, in case you were wondering), the Chapultepec Zoo opened Anfibion, the Axolotl Museum and Amphibian Conservation Center, dedicated to the amphibian’s remarkable history and efforts to preserve the species.

Axolotls as Food

The Mexica fished and consumed axolotls – they were a supposed mainstay on the banquet tables of Aztec kings. And how did the Mexica prepare them? Pretty simple. First, the “hairs” (presumably the gills) were trimmed. Then the guts were removed, the remaining carcass washed and dried, seasoned with salt and dried chiles, wrapped in corn husks, and finally steamed. Provecho!

Some Xochimilco natives grew up eating axolotls in a type of tamale, combined with fish and vegetables.

I find this particularly interesting since the skin, in particular, of most salamanders, including other tiger salamanders, is toxic. Contact can numb some parts of the body, starting from the lips, tongue, the whole face, then going down to the arms and legs. Numbness can be followed by dizziness, muscle weakness, excessive drooling (no kidding), and finally to paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Axolotls, however, lack the skin glands that secrete the toxic mucus that protects against predators and poisons those who eat the skin.

Saving the Axolotl

Recently, serious efforts have focused on an ecosystem approach, restoring habitat at a very small scale. To support a native, successfully breeding population requires that you restore water quality and reduce, if not eliminate, any introduced predators. The revival of the ancient, traditional system of chinampa farming in the floating gardens of Xochimilco is the key to preserving the axolotls. For more on the chinampas, see my article “Chinampas, Calzadas, and Aqueducts,” in the February 2023 issue of The Eye (https://theeyehuatulco.com/?s=chinampas).

Political will, accompanied by active participation by the chinamperos, is obviously essential as symbiotic restoration of traditional farming provides the needed habitat.

In late 2023, The New York Times ran an article, “What It Takes To Save the Axolotl,” describing the comprehensive, albeit painstakingly slow and incremental, approach being implemented by the government and a team of biologists and farmers. High-quality sanctuaries are being recreated in isolated waters to support axolotl growth and reproduction while limiting predatory attacks by exotic fish (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/science/mexico-axolotl-biology.html).

In the early 2000s, the Mexican government had approached Dr. Luis Zambrano, an ecologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), to survey the declining population. His UNAM lab is home to 150 axolotls from wild bloodlines. In 2017 he released 10 animals into an artificial lake on the campus to observe their behavior and collect data. This research continues. In addition to Dr. Zambrano, another team headed by biologist María Huitzil is studying the animal’s microbiota e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses etc.; an additional group of researchers is being led by Dr. José Antonio Ocampo.

Dr. Zambrano recently released 12 animals in bamboo cages lowered into excavated soils in the artificial lake. The keys to creating successful isolated refuges are surprisingly simple and elegant: semipermeable volcanic rocks filter the water and block predators (the rock is readily available given the volcanic activity in the area), and vegetation provides habitat. Revived techniques of organic farming are becoming more accepted by some chinamperos, thus reducing contamination. Carlos Sumano, a UNAM agronomist, has for the past 11 years personally promoted traditional farming methods on his own chinampas.

And what happened to the 12 axolotls Zambrano released? After two months one of the 12 had died “of causes yet to be determined, and a pump had to be installed to improve oxygen levels in one canal. ‘But that’s all part of the experiment, right?’ Dr. Zambrano said. The rest of the axolotls were fat and happy.”

For more reading:

“A Tale of Two Axolotls” (www.academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/65/12/1134/223981)
“Axolotls in Crisis: The fight to Save the ‘Water Monster’ of Mexico City”
(www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/dec/04/axolotls-in-crisis-the-fight-to-save-the-water-monster-of-mexico-city)

Huatulco

Saving Fish from Drowning

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By Jane Bauer

‘Do not feed stray dogs and cats.’ I recently posted this opinion on a thread and received a snappy comment from someone who called me cold-hearted and that they couldn’t believe we had friends in common, as though who would be friends with someone who wouldn’t feed stray animals.

While I have seen our community grow, I have seen the stray animal population grow as well.

Different cultures have varied standards for how they regard different animals. In Ecuador eating guinea pigs is a norm, while in the US and Canada they are regarded as pets. While much of the world considers dogs and cats as pets rather than food, there are still many countries where they straddle into the food category. In the Philippines dog meat is the third most popularly consumed meat after pork and goat. In Vietnam fried cat meat and beer is a popular dish in Hanoi. When I was in Switzerland, I was surprised to find Canadian horse meat on offer at the local grocery store. In India cows are considered sacred and not-food, in fact, there are entire towns that are vegetarian. All this to say that there is a wide spectrum of cultural divide in how animals are treated.

While in North America (Canada, US, Mexico) cats and dogs are non-food, there are discrepancies with how they are cared for. For many, pets become a part of our family, they are treated like children that are helpless and require human care for all their needs. For others, they are nice to have, but they also serve the purpose of protection, status or keeping other unwanted critters away.

As the coast has become more developed there are some wonderful organizations that have done amazing work with spay and neuter clinics to help keep the dogs and cats from overpopulation. This is very important because overpopulation of stray animals can lead to pack mentality, they can carry disease and take a toll on the other wildlife.

Then there is the feeding. Each morning during the tourist season as I drive into work, I see a blond woman putting out bowls of food in front of her condo, a pack of dogs cluster around her and she looks very pleased with herself. However, for the rest of the year these dogs roam the neighborhood looking for humans to feed them and have been known to get aggressive.

I recently pulled up to Chahue beach for a sunrise meditation and witnessed a man surrounded by about thirty cats as he doled out kibble, the cats were practically clambering up his legs. While I am sure he believed he was doing a good deed, science would tell you he was not.

Feeding stray animals causes them to congregate in small areas where they are at greater risk from car traffic. If they are not fed by humans, they will expand their search for food and spread out. Cats or dogs hanging out in one spot means they will poop in one spot. If this is an area where people walk their domesticated pets or children play, they are at risk for a variety of zoonotic diseases. Stray cats that are fed by humans are more likely to breed. One study found that stray cats NOT fed by people have smaller litters and lower kitten survival rate. Long-term feeding makes animals dependent on humans and contributes to breeding.

“Sure, some animals do need our help as we often need theirs. But most of them are doing perfectly well on their own and our failure to recognize that not only undermines their natural instincts and intelligence, but can also send us down the rabbit hole of martyrdom and hero syndrome which we can all do without.” Rubaiya Ahmad, founder of Obhoyaronno – Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation which is leading the charge for animals in Bangladesh.

So why do people feed stray animals? Check your own bias and needs that are being filled by this act. I have sponsored two spay and neuter clinics in my village and have been asked by many people ‘but why do white people steal dogs.’ Seeing a dog off a leash does not mean it is homeless. If you want to help animals I suggest making a donation to an organization that does spay and neuter clinics.

And why dogs and cats? There are many animals that can use our help. Save marine life by not using sunscreen when you swim or go vegan. Save a chicken, and bring it home with you to Calgary. Studies have shown that chickens feel empathy, experience REM dreams, are behaviorally sophisticated, and demonstrate thinking skills on par with mammals and primates.

A good rule of thumb I use before feeding a stray animal is to ask myself whether I am willing to domesticate it all the way. This means to provide housing, regular food, spaying/neutering, and vaccinations over the course of its lifetime. If the answer is no, walk away.

The best way to help street animals is to financially support organizations that perform free spay and neuter clinics.

Huatulco

Mexico’s Rabbits – Many Are Endangered

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By Kary Vannice

Mexico is home to 15 different species of rabbits and hares. Of the 15 distinct species, eight are endemic within its borders. Wild rabbits and hares play a vital role in the check-and-balance system of ecosystems. Like other rodents, rabbits must constantly be consuming. Their front top and bottom teeth never stop growing their entire lives, so it takes a lot of daily gnawing and chewing to keep them worn down to usable lengths. This means they contribute to the control of vegetation within their habitat. In turn, they provide food for animals further up the food chain, such as coyotes, weasels, wild cats, hawks, eagles, owls, and some snakes.

According to an article published by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, it is illegal to hunt wild hares and rabbits to sell commercially in Mexico. However, it is a common practice in some rural areas to hunt these animals for subsistence.

For most of us, any hunting of hares we’re doing is with our eyes. After all, in many cultures, it is considered good luck to see a rabbit in the wild. However, you would be fortunate indeed to see any of the following species in the wild during your travels here in Mexico. They are all either on the threatened or endangered species list.

If you happen to be in the mountains of central Mexico, keep an eye out for a Zacatuche, or volcano rabbit. They are officially on the endangered species list here in Mexico, but if you did catch sight of one, you would know it by its tiny brown body and distinctive small ears and small tail. It’s also likely you’ll spot them with or near others in their small familial group. But, if you want to have any chance at all of catching sight of this rare rodent, you’ll have to head up to the high alpine meadows because its habitat is similar to that of the northern pika.

Spotting an Omilteme cottontail rabbit would not only be lucky, it might just make you famous. They are one of the most endangered rabbit species on the planet. In fact, they may already be extinct. Thought to have gone extinct over 100 years ago, there were two specimens officially confirmed in 1998 that gave biologists hope that perhaps this Sierra-Madre-mountain dweller was making a comeback. But there’s been no evidence since to substantiate that theory, except one inconclusive photo taken in 2011. That was the last time anyone claims ever to have seen an Omilteme rabbit. Despite multiple expeditions in 2019 in search of evidence that the Omilteme were still living, there have been no confirmed sightings or DNA evidence gathered in almost 25 years.

The San José Island scrub, or brush, rabbit is also on the endangered list, and its continued survival is further threatened because its only habitat is San José Island off the coast of Baja California. Essentially “landlocked,” not much is known about this little bunny. Still, because it shares its limited home range with many other animal species and humans, it will take considerable conservation efforts to keep it from going extinct.

If you venture into the pine-oak forests of the Sierra de la Madera in Coahuila, you might mistake a Davis rabbit sighting for a common cottontail. Again, not much is known about this species because, until 1998, it was considered a subspecies of the Castilian rabbit. Now that it has the distinction of being recognized as a unique species, it also has the distinction of being on the threatened list.

If you’re not planning to travel much further than your own backyard, you still might catch site of one of Mexico’s most endangered species, the Tehuantepec hare. If you do happen to spot one, you’ll know it by its most distinctive feature – two black stripes that run from the base of each ear to the nape of its neck.

This endemic species only has two pups per litter, reproduces only once a year, and is only currently found in the state of Oaxaca. You’ll have to have a keen eye to spot one, however, because they are well adapted to their environment. At rest, they look gray, but when they run to flee, they expose their belly and their white sides become visible, but as they change direction, they once again appear gray. This helps them to blend in with the surrounding vegetation and evade predators – and perhaps even those simply hoping to catch a glimpse of a very rare hare.

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The Story of SusieJ – A Tiny Tigre de la Calle

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By Deborah Van Hoewyk

Much to the displeasure of the two cats we bring from Maine, many a Mexican street cat has tried to enter – over the wall, through the gate – our house in Santa Cruz.

But one of those Maine cats is supremely ungracious to the street cats, given that she herself was born in Santa Cruz, apparently in a giant pothole up at the end of Calle Huautla.

A Determined Tiny Tigre

SusieJ arrived like others, hopping up from the sidewalk and through the ironwork gate into a planter. And there she stayed, peeking out from the plants at the front of the patio. A few days later, however, there was another, smaller face beside hers. Apparently SusieJ had gone back up to Calle Huautla and brought her kitten to live in the planter as well.

Of course, a few days after that, there was another small face at the front of the yard. And once, again, a few days after that – another small face. This third kitten looked nothing like SusieJ or the other two, and was a good six weeks younger. Then SusieJ though it would be better all if they moved into the house. First we just thought they’d left, until we discovered them curled up on the chairs shoved under the dining room table.

We fed them and “fixed” them – the kittens went off to live in Pluma Hidalgo. As were preparing to leave at the end of the season, SusieJ was adopted by a woman who lived in Hache Tres. All was quiet, stuff was getting sorted for packing, we were looking forward to the cool weather of Maine. At 11 pm, three days before we were to leave, hubby comes in carrying SusieJ. Although he believes cats do no such thing, SusieJ had found her way back from Hache Tres.

SusieJ was replaced by two new, younger bonded (and fixed) cats; SusieJ spends her summers in Maine and her winters in Mexico.

The Sad Short Lives of Street Cats

SusieJ lucked out. This is not the fate of the overwhelming majority of street cats in Mexico. They are run over by cars (atropellado), torn apart by dogs, starved, felled by disease, poisoned intentionally or accidentally, and have hard short lives – most last less than a year.

Street cats (gatos callejeros) live in concert with humans – they are not entirely feral. Most would make happy house cats if they got the chance. They are in the street because, historically, Mexico has not had a “pet culture” – cats and dogs have been seen as utilitarian. Cats do in the rats, mice, and other small vermin, while dogs guard property and people. It is thought spaying and castrating a dog or cat would prevent it from being fierce enough to do its job.

This is changing, however. According to U.S. animal behavior consultant Steve Dale from Chicago, Mexicans, “often influenced by European, American and Canadian pet ownership in the community,” are increasingly thinking of cats and dogs as pets, and with this change of mind, sterilization of pets and strays is increasing across Mexico.

The Solution? Sterilization

Sterilizing dogs and cats that roam and street animals is the only proven – and humane – way to control these populations. The Oaxacan coast has a strong contingent of spay-neuter organizations. The first volunteering we ever did in Huatulco was at one of the earliest clinics put on by Snipsisters, an organization formed by Canadians who had homes in Salchi, the next beach town after Cuatunalco. (Cuatunalco is west of Huatulco, before Pochutla/Puerto Ángel, and has hosted multiple Snipsister clinics.)

Snipsisters has encouraged other organizations to conduct spay-neuter campaigns. In Bahías de Huatulco, that organization is the Mexican nonprofit Palmas Unidas de Huatulco; Snipsisters has supported many of the Palmas Unidas clinics. There is a Snipsisters chapter in Puerto Escondido, where they also support TNR (Trap Neuter Release) Puerto Escondido. Altogether, Snipsisters has sterilized over 5,000 cats and dogs in coastal Oaxaca. The independent organization Terre Xtra serves Pochutla and Puerto Ángel, as well as lending a hand with Palmas Unidas and anywhere else they are needed.

Palmas Unidas de Huatulco conducts 6 – 9 free sterilization campaigns a year. Last month, Palmas Unidas held a clinic in Hache Tres in La Crucecita, scheduling 154 surgeries – working into the dark, the surgeons sterilized 159 animals. Those slots were all taken and people were being turned away – unacceptable to Palmas Unidas. Overnight emergency fundraising funded a second clinic with 60 more sterilizations, for a total 0f 219; funds raised will cover another clinic to be held early in the new year.

It costs approximately 300 pesos (currently about $15 USD, $20 CDN) to sterilize a cat or dog. Long-time Huatulco resident Fran McLaren is the driving force behind fundraising for Palmas Unidas; if you are interested in helping, contact her at franmclaren@gmail.com.

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Once They’re Gone, They’re Gone Forever

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By Kary Vannice

As we come into a new year, many of us get rid of or eliminate things in our lives that no longer have a purpose to make room for the new. We’ve become accustomed to lightning-paced technology turnover as we willingly and regularly upgrade to the latest and greatest smartphone on the market.

We, in our plastic and metal world, have become so used to “planned obsolesence” that we now simply accept that in a few years, most of our everyday objects will be outdated and worthless. And we’ve started to see it as a sign of progress … out with the old and in with the new.

Unfortunately, in the natural world, there is no research and development team working on new species to replace the many that are rapidly being extinguished from our planet. New mammal, amphibian, and insect species are not coming online as fast as Apple comes up with a new version of the iPhone.

No, once a species is lost to us, it is gone forever, and with it a critical piece of biological biodiversity, which upsets the balance of an ecosystem forever. There are no replacements or upgrades in the natural world. Each species is integral to the healthy functioning of the whole.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) publishes a yearly “Red List,” which lists most of the threatened and endangered species on the planet.

According to the IUCN, “Currently, there are more than 142,500 species on The IUCN Red List, with more than 40,000 species threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 37% of sharks and rays, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef-building corals, 26% of mammals and 13% of birds.”

In 2015, IUCN listed Mexico as the country with the most threatened or endangered mammals globally – 101. And of course, that number didn’t include any insect, amphibian, bird, plant, reef coral or reptile species, all of which are included in Mexico’s top threatened species.

In recent years, studies conducted in Mexico have confirmed the vulnerability of the monarch butterfly (insect), the leatherback sea turtle (reptile), the Mexican axolotl salamander (amphibian), the scarlet macaw (bird), elkhorn coral (reef coral), the white nun orchid (plant), in addition to several mammal species including the Mexican grey wolf, the jaguar, the ocelot, the Mexican long-nosed bat, along with dozens and dozens of other lesser-known mammal species here in Mexico.

Just a few months ago, The New York Times ran an article online titled “Here’s the Next Animal That Could Go Extinct,” and yes, that animal only exists in the waters of Mexico. It’s the vaquita, a small ocean porpoise. Only ten are known to be living in the wild, in the waters off the coast of San Felipe, a small fishing village on the Gulf of California.

One of the main reasons Mexico has so many threatened and endangered species is that its diverse landscape translates into high biodiversity. Mexico is number four in the world for the highest number of mammal species, boasting over 500 species. But the sad fact is, nearly a fifth of them are in trouble. Most are threatened because of habitat loss due to clearing to create agricultural land or commercial development.

Many of the species on the “Red List” are collateral damage from commercial activity, such as farming or fishing. Of the 101 species listed in 2015, 60 were rodents. At that time, the San Quinton Kangaroo Rat had not been seen since 1986 and was declared possibly extinct in 1994. However, in 2017 researchers caught one in a survey trap, proving that, while their numbers are small, they are still surviving on Baja California’s coast. That is encouraging news, but one species among nearly 100 just doesn’t seem like a big enough win.

Eighty percent of the threatened or endangered species on the IUNC’s “Red List” for Mexico are endemic, meaning that they do not exist anywhere else in the world in the wild, which means if they go extinct in Mexico, they are gone forever.

In nature, there is no such thing as planned obsolescence; all species strive to survive. It is only a system out of balance that causes extinction. And right now, man’s manipulation of nature is the number one cause of species loss both on land and in the sea. If you’d like to do your part to prevent extinction in your area, support local land conservation efforts and pitch in to keep green spaces clean and safe for all species.

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Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“Cows are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them; and, in short, I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures.”
Thomas de Quincey

Hello 2021!

As we have done for the past four years, the theme for our January issue follows the Chinese New Year. We are entering the Year of the Ox, which hopefully will be better for humanity than 2020’s Year of the Rat.

When I was in India last year, cows wandered the streets as stray dogs do in Mexico. They would approach me and nudge my hand with their head to be petted. These encounters filled me with a strange combination of bliss and sadness. When I returned to Mexico, I went to see some land with a man from my village. There were three cows there and, fresh from my India experience, I approached one and placed my hand on its forehead. Our eyes met and the cow responded to my touch by moving its head towards me. The man who had brought me there looked on quizzically; it was clear he thought I was ridiculous.

So often we overlook the charms of animals that have been domesticated for consumption. As we do with humans, there is a definite hierarchy when it comes to how we dole out our concern for animals. Afterall, I have often made the sassy comment that when people come to a Mexican village and ‘rescue’ a dog, why do they leave the chickens behind? I am being facetious, of course, and this is not a plea that everyone should stop eating meat and welcome chickens into their living rooms (don’t- they are very messy!). I just find it interesting to contemplate how we collectively seem to decide on this hierarchy, and also how it differs from culture to culture.

While I was growing up my mother had a painting that hung in the kitchen of a woman with her hand extended to a cow. Perhaps that is where my fascination came from.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Putting out the magazine has been such a gift during this season when we are separated from so many of our loved ones.

Thank you to the amazing writers, contributors, advertisers and readers who make this possible!

See you in February,

Jane

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How Cattle Survive Canada’s Harsh Climate

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By Jack Vander Byl

Reading the title, you’re probably thinking about the severe cold weather we Canadians get in January and February, and how cold it must be for cows to be outside. Not so. On a cold, clear, sunny day in January at 30°C below 0, our beef cows are happily lying on the snow chewing their cuds. Their protection from the cold comes with their birth. Calves born in the late fall arrive with a thick hair coat and ready for winter. The rest of the cattle in the herd also grow a thick hair coat for the winter. In the spring, the cattle start rubbing against whatever they can find to slough off this winter coat: fences, trees, buildings, etc. Then they are ready for summer.

Calves that are born in the springtime, however, come with a very slight haircoat to help them cope with the severe heat of plus 30°C summer days. And how do cattle cope with those very hot summer days? They do their grazing early in the morning and in the evening, spending the rest of the day lying in the shade of any big old tree they can find and chewing their cuds. Yes, everything a cow eats, she regurgitates and chews it 70 more times to break it into smaller particles that get passed on down to her other 3 stomachs.

On cold, clear winter days cattle cope very well as long as there is no wind. But if you add some strong wind, cold rain or a severe snowstorm to the cold, the cows eat quickly and head to shelter to chew their cuds. In our case – we’re in eastern Ontario – we have a lean-to on the south side of the main barn so the cows can get out of the wind and snow. A windbreak will also do nicely. If they don’t have a building they can shelter in, they will head to the bush, preferably a cedar bush which gives excellent protection from the wind. If nothing is available, the cattle will form a circle with the calves in the centre to protect them and cows around the outside packed in close together so only their behinds are exposed to the wind, taking turns being on the outside of the ring.

When I joined a veterinary practice in 1975, the dairy cattle in eastern Ontario were all housed in barns of 30 to 70 milk cows. The barns were all packed tight with cattle and not very well ventilated. Cows give off a lot of heat and the barns became too hot for the cows. As a result, we treated a lot of pneumonia in our dairy cows. The farmers were happy because the barns were very comfortable to work in, but the cows are very comfortable at 0°C.

During the summer, the cows had gone to pasture every day during the summer but spent most of the day lying under the trees to get shade. If they were left on pasture too late in the fall, they started to grow a winter hair coat and then the farmers had a big job to clip all the hair off so they wouldn’t overheat in the warm barns.

Gradually, things changed. Ventilation in the barns improved, and milk production improved as the cows were kept in a cooler environment. So now, all new barns have open sides with a curtain that can be pulled up in the worst of winter; the barns are generally just above freezing – good for the cows but not so good for the farmers and veterinarians who have to work with them. During the summer, these barns have massive fans that move air through the barns very rapidly and cool off the cows. Dairy cows do not go outside anymore.

So, even though the Canadian climate may be harsh, cattle will adapt, as long as they have water to drink and enough food to eat.

Jack Vander Byl is a retired large animal veterinarian who now enjoys helping out at his son’s beef cattle farm in Eastern Ontario.

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When is an Ox Not an Ox?Meet the Musk Ox!

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By Susan Birkenshaw

Dating back to the days of the sabre-toothed tiger and wooly mammoth, the musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) can be traced back over 600,000 years. In the northern tundra culture of the Inuit, the musk ox has been revered as a gift from their gods and protected as a strong source of food (from the meat), warmth and protection (from the wool and hides), and weapons (from the horns and bones). As strong and respectful hunters, the Inuit have used every part of their hunt.

Distinctly identifiable by the musky odor of males during mating season, the musk ox bears little resemblance to the bison or the ox as we know them today. In fact, they are more closely related to mountain goats and bighorn sheep, with their cloven hooves and an astonishing nimbleness on the icy terrain that they call home. Much warmer and softer than sheep wool, musk ox wool (qiviut) is also simpler to harvest, done by brushing the loose hairs from the hide or collecting the commonly dropped patches around their habitat. This wooly Qiviut has been measured as eight times warmer than the sheep and much more waterproof, all the while being lighter per weight. It is stronger than sheep wool and surprisingly finer than cashmere, produced by Kashmir and pashmina goats.

In the wild, these majestic animals are smaller than their bison cousins. They have large dish-like hooves with two toes, which can spread across the ice and rocky terrain for better footing. This is an excellent adaptation to their environment, as they live commonly at the very northern edge of the Arctic lands in the Northwest Territories and the northeast coast of Greenland. They most commonly roam in herds of two to three dozen, but as the world overtakes them these numbers are dwindling.

In this Year of the Ox, we should not err in disregarding the musk ox, just because it is not genetically linked to the oxen we see on farms in 2021. Highly valued because of its contribution to successful farming, the musk ox has had many positive characteristics attributed to it. It has survived through its resilience and protectiveness, which leads to an image of being steadfast, reliable, hardworking and honest. In today’s environment, I have decided to choose this particular “ox” as my new best friend.