Afternoon Run

Wildlife—beyond the bars

The wildlife of Messinia extends beyond the waterfront of Finikounda, with its many cafes and bars. Just after siesta, Jonathan took a 7-kilometer run, heading down into a valley located just east of his house. It is a maze of olive groves, with one cental tractor path.

Suddenly, a dark canine flashed by at incredible speed, charging up a steep embankment with the acceleration reserved for wild hares or thoroughbred horses. It was most certainly a jackal, one of the now resurgent (but once nearly extinct) population found only in the mountains of the southern Peloponnese. It was a rare treat to see this creature.

On the way out—Jonathan deferred running deeper in this remote valley, lest Mr. Jackal traveled in a pack of hungry friends—he met the tall dark-haired man on the large green John Deere tractor who passes the house every morning. The two have waved at each other for several weeks, but had not met. Jonathan stopped and introduced himself. Low and behold, his name was Panayioti! Every male in southern Messinia is named either Panayioti, Dimitri, or Niko. Sure, there a small sprinkling of Tasos, Iliases, and Kostas, but they are few and far between.

Jonathan asked him about the jackal, wondering if he might have been right, and Panayioti said it was most definitely a jackal. He asked the farmer, “Have you seen any wild boars?” He suggested that J. keep his distance from these sometimes fearsome creatures. Several friends in the area hunt them at night (they are out of season now and are generally hunted in the winter) because of the damage they bring to fields with their incessant digging.