Mallorquin Wildlife

Moving from Wisconsin to an island in the Mediterranean was definitely a big change, but this entire year I’ve been the most fascinated by one thing I’ve found on this island: the wildlife.  The animals in Wisconsin and the Northeast are pretty similar, so my transition to Holy Cross was not shocking in that aspect.  However, here in Mallorca, the animals vastly differ from what I’m used to back home.  Instead of deer, foxes, crows, and the occasional skunk, there are a multitude of fish, sheep, large insects, and even a few ostriches.

For me, animals are so beautiful, interesting, and captivating.  Each one you encounter is different from the last and interacts with you and the environment differently as well.  I could watch them for hours, understanding their movements, deducing their goals, and contemplating the simplicity of their lives.  Here in Mallorca, I’ve been lucky enough to interact with animals that I could only find in zoos in Wisconsin.

The University here is home to over 20 ducks and numerous cats.  Oftentimes I find other students feeding the animals and playing with them.  Sometimes walking around feels similar to a petting zoo.

These chicken live at a farmhouse owned by a Holy Cross host mom here in Mallorca.  I took home some of their eggs and tried them the next morning; they were the best I’ve ever had.

This jellyfish washed up on the beach at Porto Cristo.  My friends and I had a lot of fun once we figured out that only the tentacles sting and we could pick it up by it’s head.

This donkey and several more live near the cliff jumping spot I talked about in an earlier post.

These snails live on my block.  They only come out when it rains and slither along the sidewalk. I find the baby snails to be absolutely adorable.

Across from the University is a large grazing area.  It holds chicken, rams, peacocks, and these ostriches.  Everyday on my bus ride to class I see ostriches, it never gets old.

Geckos and small lizards are pretty much everywhere and very fun to watch when they’re fighting.

When I went to the Caves de Drach, while I was waiting to enter a peacock ran straight at me! He was hungry and used to tourists giving him food.  I still find it amazing how wild animals can condition themselves to human presence.

This owl and vulture are part of a fair in Bunyola.  They belong to a company that travels around and shows animals at each fair in Mallorca.  Seeing them close up was a blessing, they really are beautiful.

Although this doesn’t cover half the animals in Mallorca and the sea surrounding it, I’ve found the wildlife here to be charming, intriguing, and very entertaining.

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