Lessons in parenting from Mweya’s Mongooses!
Nov 27, 11
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A morning with the famous Banded Mongooses of Queen Elizabeth National Park

I often forget when we go out on safari how – even on short distances – a vehicle is necessary. And so, armed not with a gun or a machete, but a long radio antenna, we jumped into the back of a pickup truck and headed off the main track and into the scrubby bush.

The sun was shining as we watched Pink-backed Pelicans sailing down the Kazinga Channel towards us. Within just a few minutes, our researcher guides Solomon and Francis had tracked down our family, one of six habituated groups of Mongooses* living on the Mweya peninsula in Queen Elizabeth National Park, western Uganda. Over two decades of research have given Solomon, Kenneth and Francis an intimate knowledge of Mweya’s nine families of Banded Mongoose.

Banded Mongooses, Mweya, Queen Elizabeth National Park
Cute and fluffy or too much like a rat to you? Endlessly fascinating Mongooses

Our job for the morning was to weigh each of the 32-member family. But where do you start?

With a call of “coo-coo-coo-coo-coo” the mongooses come trotting out of the bush, snorting, sniffing, whistling and chirruping.

Well, would you believe it – these guys can be identified by their different haircuts! Every two weeks each mongoose has a number clipped into the fur onto its back to identify it. Regular monitoring is invaluable in monitoring their health.

Our family of Mongooses trot off into the Bush at Mweya
Our family of Mongooses trot off into the Bush at Mweya, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

As the mongoose family rolled up, we set to work. Each mammal was individually weighed and its personal number and weight noted. (What impressed me was how Solomon managed to remember which individuals he’d weighed). Later, the data is compared to check that the mongoose pups are growing healthily and to monitor any pregnancies. 

During the weigh-in, the researchers told us about Mongoose society

Known as ‘cooperative breeders’ the female mongooses all give birth on the same day. Incredible! As many as 15 pups will be born in a day. A pup can be suckled by any of the females. Pups will then choose which male – the babysitters of the species – will care for them. According to Solomon, a pup can distinguish between a good or a bad parent. (These fascinating creatures could surely be good role models to a few men we could mention!)

If a subordinate female becomes pregnant, when the dominant four females aren’t, she will be “beaten up” in Solomon’s words, and forced to abort. If she’s lucky, she will then be allowed back into the group (the risk is that if subordinates keep getting pregnant, they threaten the dominance of the group). Examples of this behaviour were captured on the BBC TV series Banded Brothers, aired in 2010.

A wonderful clip from ‘Banded Brothers’ | BBC Earth. Tragically, Mary the elephant – one of the series stars – was later poisoned

When I commented on how healthy the mongooses looked, Solomon replied “Yes, these are rich guys. They live near the Lodge!” Rubbish from Mweya Lodge and the Uganda Wildlife Authority hostel is collected and taken to a covered pit, but with so many tourists passing through Mweya, it’s inevitable there are still scraps of food to be scavenged.

Beetles, insects, small snakes, rodents, lizards and eggs are all part of a mongoose’s diet.
Beetles, insects, small snakes, rodents, lizards and eggs are all part of a mongoose’s diet

When they find a rat “they go crazy and make a lot of noise” to attract the rest of the group to the hunt. We watched as a Mongoose (carefully) attacked a giant Millipede, bashing it against the ground to first remove its poison. The others were quick to dive in and help him eat it.

When they’re not busy foraging or fighting, mongooses can be seen removing the ticks and lice from compliant warthogs. Did you know this behaviour only happens in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park? Other unusual behaviour witnessed here was the Mongoose who took a dip in the lodge pool!

To get closer to the action, I sat on a tuft of grass at the edge of the track. Note: sitting down on the bare grass is not recommended. By afternoon, my legs were itching like crazy!

As we talked, we heard a car pass along the track above us. Every Mongoose was on high alert, heads turned in the direction of the noise, on their back legs, scanning the horizon. With a piercing shriek, the crew scattered. They headed for cover, as one.

“If they see a Leopard they will just freak and run. Even if they find the dung of a lion, they run!” (And so might I!)

The Mongoose’s greatest enemies are the Leopard and the Python. Just recently a Leopard had attacked their den and eaten five of them. At Kabatoro Gate, a Python had eaten a mongoose wearing the radio collar. They’d tracked the perpetrator of course!

The Mongooses Experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park

How to book the Mongooses Experience

A few hours – or longer – in the presence of these knowledgeable researchers, who so obviously love their subjects, is a great way to get up close to nature, support conservation and see the park from a different angle. Unlike some other wildlife experiences, you can get out of the car and even let the Mongooses run between your feet.

The experience can be booked with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

What is so special about mongooses?

There are 32 species of Mongooses in the world, of which only four are social: the Meercats, the Dwarf, the Yellow and the Banded Mongooses.

The Banded Mongoose Research project is run by the universities of Cambridge, Exeter and Zürich (and has links to more photos and video footage). And why are they studying Uganda’s Banded Mongooses? “These ‘cooperatively breeding’ societies pose a challenge to evolutionary theory because natural selection is expected to favour selfish behaviour that maximises an individual’s reproductive success. The banded mongoose population at Mweya provides an opportunity to answer questions about the evolution of cooperation and the resolution of conflict in wild mammals.”

*One Mongoose (singular), several Mongooses (plural).

Have you taken part in the Mongooses Experience?

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12 thoughts on “Lessons in parenting from Mweya’s Mongooses!”

  1. What a great account about the banded mongoose…You seemed to have really enjoyed the experiential tourism experience. Thanks. Keep writing.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Gladys, tx for taking the time to comment 🙂 Yes I really loved hanging out with those furry-looking rats! I’m hoping Dr Margaret will let me loose with the lion researchers next!

  2. Cynthia says:

    What a fascinating expereince, and yes, there breeding etc are all similar to their cousins the Meerkat. I have seen Mongoose in the bush, but always at a distance and then they scurry off before you can actually see them properly so this expereince must have been fantastic, a bit like mine with the Meerkats

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Cynthia, the more time we spend with animals, the more there is to learn – I’d love to see Meerkats like you did. That reminds me – here’s my bucket list …?

  3. Pingback: The Muzungu's Best of 2012! - Diary of a Muzungu | Uganda travel blog
  4. Chris says:

    Thank you Muzungu for such informative info. on Banded Mangooses.!!
    Chris.

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Chris, It’s amazing how fascinating one individual species can be. Mongooses really are quite unique – and cute!

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