Special guests – the banded mongoose

by Leigh King – 7 May 2010

Jaci’s Lodges are well-known not only for their 5-star luxury and extensive game sightings, but also for the banded mongoose families that inhabit the lodge grounds. Just as Jaci’s is one of the few upmarket lodges that welcomes children of all ages, so, too, have the families of banded mongoose been welcomed as special furry guests.

Whether you’re enjoying a meal, reading a book, or just whiling away the time – bush lovers and those familiar with the rhythms of Madikwe savour the seductive silence, ideal for contemplation and broken only by the sounds of nature – the mongoose families will entertain you and enchant your children with their antics.

Tame enough to be petted by camp staff, these banded mongoose families are named after the dozen or so black transverse bands on their backs. The banded mongoose has a grizzled coat and a pointed muzzle. According to The Mammals of the South African Subregion, revised by Skinner and Chimimba (2005), mongooses are social creatures. They go about their business in packs, emerging from underground dens or termite mounds, to enjoy the warmth of the morning and late afternoon sun.

The banded mongooses have an acute sense of smell which they use when danger threatens and also when they forage for food. Although they may scatter on their food-hunting expeditions, they  maintain constant contact by “twittering” which becomes increasingly high-pitched as the distance between them increases. They are terrestrial and adept at climbing trees if the mood takes them, or if danger lurks.

Mongooses eat well – enjoying a varied diet of insects, including snails, grasshoppers, caterpillars, frogs and small lizards, birds’ eggs and fruit. Jaci’s mongooses are – like her paying guests – prone to being spoilt. In the case of the mongoose families, a mere chicken’s egg is sufficient to delight! And if the egg is not broken for them – they will drop it onto the ground until it breaks.

The banded mongoose takes good care of its young, and when danger threatens the pack will bunch around the junior members to protect them from harm. Similarly, any mongoose that is having an off day – or is ill or injured – is cared for and warmed, groomed and fed as needed.

The banded mongoose is a matriarchal society, with the females dominating the males. At least one adult male is left to guard the young in the den for the three or four weeks before they are able to join in daily food-foraging expeditions.

A visit to the bush is not only about seeing the Big Five – there are many other birds, animals and insects that are fascinating to observe and the banded mongoose is just one of the little creatures that abound in the unspoilt wilderness of Madikwe.

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