Dumpster Dive

What Ressie eats is a up for debate. We know it enjoys Honey Baked Hams™. We can't keep those things in the traps. We also have accounts where people have seen Ressie eating giant catfish, alligators, stray dogs, a raccoon and 'supposedly' a guy that was puking over the rail at "The Dock" in the late 80s. That leads me to this recent e-mail.

Hello,

I'm not sure if this was Ressie or not. Several years ago I worked at Penn's Fish House on the Rankin County side of the Reservoir. I was the last person there that night and I was taking the last of the garbage to the dumpster. When I flipped the lid back I got the surprise of my life. Something large and wet came sliding out and all I was thinking was "snake" so I ran back inside. I stuck my head back out and saw this animal, that was about the size of Komodo dragon lurching up and down in the direction of the lake. It was moving real strange. It looked like it wasn't used to being on the land that much. Anyway it could have been anything. I don't know. I'm not exactly Brian Fellows.

Good luck with your project.

- James J.

Thanks for the e-mail James. that could have in fact been a young Ressie. It sounds like it had grown too old and its parents had forced it out of their territory, thereby forcing it to dumpster dive to feed itself. If these things like Honey Baked Hams™ it wouldn't be a huge stretch to think they might have a taste for chicken grease and fried catfish bones. I think they are omnivorous and will eat just about anything they can hook their razor sharp teeth into.