Does anyone remember.....

[TheSpec4Jim]

The Snake and Mongoose fights in Takoyama Kanko Park? I had heard that they stopped that some time back.

Take care,
Jim

[Oxmix]

The Snake and Mongoose fights in Takoyama Kanko Park? I had heard that they stopped that some time back.

Take care,
Jim

I remember them but not at the location you mention.

Regards

Ox

[Fire4Effect]

I saw one several years ago at some kind of snake park somewhere past Itoman. Don't remember the name. There was some kind of cave and stuff nearby. We got there later in the day and the snake and mongoose were so tired that the handlers kept throwing them on each other but they didn't want to fight... Of course the cobra was de-fanged and the mongoose de-clawed... was boring but the mainlanders seemed to enjoy it.

[Tanimaga]

I saw one several years ago at some kind of snake park somewhere past Itoman. Don't remember the name. There was some kind of cave and stuff nearby. We got there later in the day and the snake and mongoose were so tired that the handlers kept throwing them on each other but they didn't want to fight... Of course the cobra was de-fanged and the mongoose de-clawed... was boring but the mainlanders seemed to enjoy it.

Yes, that would be Takoyama. The name of the "park" is different, but I can't remember it right now.

[TheSpec4Jim]

Here's a little brochure that they gave us when we walked in. Back in the day when we went, I don't think they de-clawed nor de-fanged but, if I remember correctly they did put the snake in refrigerator to slow him down.

[Sex Wax]

Yeah, I don't think there are any more Habu and Mongoose fights to the death at the parks and such. Maybe in the wild or some wierd underground yakuza basement they fight, but all the ones i've seen are the de-clawed and de-fanged ones for the public.

[Fire4Effect]

I've got a video of a python/mouse fight to the death. It happens every Sunday afternoon...

[The Truth™]

The cave park where the popular snake vs. mongoose fight is staged, is now called Okinawa World.

I saw the "fight" back in '93 or so. Back then it was a bit real. The mongoose drew blood from the snake, but the handler had to keep pulling the snake around to face the mongoose. Apparently, that old snake was tired of the same show day in and day out.

I went again in 2006, and they now announce (paraphrasing) "due to increased awareness of animal treatment, we no longer allow them to fight."

Instead, they both race each other in seperate long water tanks. It's mildly interesting.

Ironically, it was still advertised coyly as a "battle."

[Raptor]

I saw one several years ago at some kind of snake park somewhere past Itoman. Don't remember the name. There was some kind of cave and stuff nearby. We got there later in the day and the snake and mongoose were so tired that the handlers kept throwing them on each other but they didn't want to fight... Of course the cobra was de-fanged and the mongoose de-clawed... was boring but the mainlanders seemed to enjoy it.

This is exactly how I remembered it. 1993-94 Mongoose vs Snake and they both didn't want to fight each other and it was pretty lame. :thumbdown:

[P_chan]

I saw one several years ago at some kind of snake park somewhere past Itoman. Don't remember the name. There was some kind of cave and stuff nearby. We got there later in the day and the snake and mongoose were so tired that the handlers kept throwing them on each other but they didn't want to fight... Of course the cobra was de-fanged and the mongoose de-clawed... was boring but the mainlanders seemed to enjoy it.

Cave was probably gyokusendo and the park was probably okinawa world.

[acidcrash]

I believe that someone told a card carrying member of PETA complained, and tried to get the Japanese courts involved. Not sure if it is true.

Does anyone remember the OLD aquarium? They had a small whale shark crammed into that thing. It was so shallow that the whale sharks dorsal fin was dried, shrivelled and black.

[TheSpec4Jim]

My wife and I only went to the Snake and Mongoose fight once while on Okinawa. It seems to me that the fight didn't last all that long. In fact it didn't seem to be that spectacular which is probably way we didn't go back. However, it was different. I don't remember the aquarium with the shark in it.

Jim

[Hawk7173]

My wife and I attended a carnival at Kadena Air Base in 73 and one of the things they had there were the Habu and Mongoose fights. Most times the Mongoose would win killing the Habu after defanging it. If the Mongoose was bitten, the handler would take it out quickly and give it a antedote so that it could fight again later.

I also saw the snake pis and fights at the Ryuku Village, north of Kadena when I went back as a civillian after 25 yrs.