The Little Lion

A Spanish Mastiff

History is made up of stories not only about people and events but also starring animals, even common ones like man’s best friend, the dog. One famous canine from the days of the Spanish conquest of the Americas was named Leoncico or “little lion” by his owner, Vasco Balboa. Son of another well-known dog, Bercerillo, Leoncico was named after his father’s owner, the famous explorer Ponce de Leon. Leoncico was a reddish cross between a mastiff and a greyhound and enters history as a stowaway. Because his master is deeply in debt after failing as a pig farmer on one of Spain’s island colonies, Leoncico soon finds himself hiding out in a barrel with Balboa on a boat bound for Panama. On discovering his two hitchhikers, Captain Enciso decides to maroon them, but eventually gives in to the pleadings from his compassionate crew and allows the duo to continue on the voyage.

We hear about Leoncico again after Balboa has made a name for himself and is leading an exploring party to “discover” the Pacific Ocean. Astonishingly, Leoncico is paid to come along, receiving what some reports have said to be a captain’s wages!

Leoncico was hardly a pet, though. The dogs of the conquistadors were used to protect their masters and attack enemy Indians. They were cruelly trained to hunt Indians for sport like deer, were fed human flesh, and were generally employed in terrorizing the native population.

No, Leoncico was no Lassie, but his role in history makes for one of the more fascinating of animal tales.

For further reading:

http://latinamericanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/balboa_discoverer_of_the_pacific

http://www.mariner.org/exploration/index.php?type=explorer&id=63

http://www.geocities.com/ericsquire/articles/dogshist.htm