Wild dog excitement in Kidepo!
Back from extinction? Or just back for the day? African wild dogs recorded in Uganda for the first time in over 40 years
Recently, the grainy photo [below] from a wildlife ranger’s phone went viral on Uganda’s conservation and tourism WhatsApp groups. There’s no mistaking the dog’s lollop and it’s smudged tricolour coat: African wild dogs have been recorded in Uganda for the first time since the 1980s! Reports say that two individual dogs were seen.
The wild dog sightings were in Narus Valley in Uganda’s most north-easterly protected area, bordering South Sudan. What brought the wild dogs to the Narus Valley? And will Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers see them again? This amazing animal was widely believed to be extinct in Uganda – until now.
It’s exciting to add a new species to my blog and I immediately turned to ‘the wildlife bible’, Richard D. Estes’ The Safari companion: guide to watching African mammals.
What do we know about wild dogs?
- African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are also known as painted dogs or painted wolves.
- “Their conspicuous colour testifies to their hunting prowess: here is a predator that doesn’t need to sneak up on its prey.” WOW.
- They are “a lean-long legged canid built for speed and endurance.” They are Africa’s largest dogs.
- African wild dogs are “the most carnivorous and one of the most specialised hunters.”
- Known in East Africa as a plains animal, their range is through all types of bush and montane habitats.
- African wild dogs are highly susceptible to canine diseases. Disease is the main suspect in their demise (they can infected by domestic dogs).
How will the rangers find wild dogs in Uganda?
According to Chris and Tilde Stuart, authors of Field Guide Mammals of South Africa “Wild dogs do not establish territories but have very large home ranges.” (This suggests that the dogs were likely to just be visiting Kidepo).
- Animals live in packs of 10, 20 or even 30. Packs of 20 dogs are common although bigger numbers have been recorded in southern Africa.
- Large packs tend to split. (Are these two individuals splitting to form a new pack?)
- “A strong smell is characteristic of the species.” Imagine!
- Wild dogs make a range of sounds, from a deep rough bark, to a “birdlike twittering” when they are excited, and ultrasonic calls (which are inaudible to humans).
- “The only sure way to see wild dogs is when they are denning” [in their den].
I’ve had so much fun researching this topic! And I hope that the African wild dogs are here to stay in Uganda. You never know what you will see – or smell – when you go on safari. I can’t wait to visit Kidepo Valley National Park later this year (can you guess what I’ll be sniffing around for?)
Welcoming the whales in Watamu – a first for Kenya!
Whale watching in Watamu, part of Kenya’s Twin Migration!
The Great Migration of a million plus wildebeest across the plains of Kenya – and Tanzania – combined with the annual migration of whales along Kenya’s coast make a compelling case for visiting East Africa at this time of year.
Did you know…? Between July and September, humpback whales pass close to the shores of the Kenyan coast. Why? They gather in the warm Kenyan waters to calve and mate. If you’re into wildlife – like I am – whale watching is another not-to-be-missed ecotourism experience!
Below are extracts from an article in Kenya’s The Nation entitled Travelling to Watch Whales in Kenyan Coast.
Armed with a pair of binoculars and a good viewing spot, Charlotte Beauvoisin, a British travel blogger who lives in Uganda sat at the shore watching the whales from land.
“I got a sneak peek from behind the scenes with the Watamu Marine Association land research team,” she says.
Charlotte Beauvoisin, The Nation – Business daily, 9 August 2019
I’m a huge fan of the conservation work and ecotourism activities developed by the Watamu Marine Association. On a previous visit I was lucky enough to accompany WMA’s dolphin monitoring team onto the ocean. For over an hour, we watched a pod of 20 dolphins on this same stretch of coast. As soon as the WMA team mentioned that they now organise whale watching tours, I just had to see them!
“If a whale watching boat does not see the animals, a guide or researcher will communicate with the land base which increases the chance of visitors to see whales. When I was with the land team, it was early in the season so we couldn’t see the mother whale and calves that come as close as 500 metres from the shore. However, as I was watching there was a call from one of the boats, Alley Cat, to tell me that I was looking at a whale just slightly outside out of range. In the next few hours, seven whales were seen from the boats in the ocean,” Charlotte says.
She has always been fascinated by whales; their size, grace and eerie, unusual songs. “I’m terrified of deep water so I have immense respect for how whales live and the many thousands of miles they swim every year as they migrate.”
Last week I travelled to Watamu to meet Jane Spilsbury and Steve Trott of the Watamu Marine Association. They work closely with Hemingways Watamu, Kenya’s first hotel to offer whale watching excursions.
The whale migration through Kenyan waters normally starts at the beginning of July and ends in September (although sightings have been made as late as November in some years). “It is expected that the whales will start to increase in numbers as the migration peaks in August,” says Jane. In October, the whales make their 5,000 km return journey to Antartica, their main feeding area. During the peak month of August, humpbacks – said to be “among the most acrobatic of whales” – can even be seen from shoreside bars and hotels such as Hemingways and Ocean Sports Bar. The whale watching tours follow WMA’s responsible whale watching guidelines.
How much does it cost to go whale watching in Watamu?
Whale watching costs between $450 and $100 for a morning or afternoon boat trip that lasts about 4 hours. There’s a good chance of seeing other marine mammals such as sea turtles and dolphins on a whale watching trip.
Would you believe it – these are the teeth of a Sperm Whale!
In 2018, the 17 metre long body of a Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) was washed up at Kwale, on the Kenyan coast. My friends at Watamu Marine Association were quick to visit the scene. Watch the story of the beached Sperm Whale unfold. It’s quite something. (One quick thinking local was there to take and print selfies for the crowd who gathered at the scene!)
The Sperm Whale is 1 of 24 marine mammal species identified by the Watamu Marine Association along this stretch of coastline.
Once upon a time, Sperm Whale teeth were much in demand by seamen who used the teeth to carve intricate images. This artwork was known as scrimshaw. The image was scratched onto the surface of a Sperm Whale tooth using a knife or needle. Scrimshaw art was popular with 19th century whalers.
If you love the sea, there are so many thrilling ways to experience nature in Watamu: snorkeling, whale watching, dolphin monitoring, turtle conservation. (Whatever next – sharks?)
For more information, visit Watamu Marine Association’s web site. To book a whale watching trip between July and September, contact +254 (0) 724170154 / (0)731697356 or fishing.centre@hemingways.co / michael.mwangombe@watamumarine.co.ke
Here is my favourite blog from the coast, all about Kenya’s dazzling marine life: where to snorkel in Watamu.
Rhinos to Rwanda: the largest ever transport of rhinos from Europe to Africa begins today
Rwanda’s commitment to protecting and investing in its National Parks is phenomenal. The annual Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony is one example of that.
“On Sunday June 23, five critically endangered Eastern Black Rhinoceroses, born and bred in European zoo environments, will be flown 6,000 km to Akagera National Park in Rwanda. This is the largest ever translocation of rhinos from Europe to Africa.
This historic journey will begin at Safari Park Dvůr Králové (Czech Republic) where all five animals have been gathered since November 2018.
While their flight departs on Sunday June 23rd, their journey began years ago, through EAZA’s vision to supplement wild populations in secure parks in Africa with genetically-robust individuals who have been successfully bred and cared for over the years by the EAZA Ex Situ Programme (EEP).
This is a unique collaboration between the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), the Government of Rwanda and conservation NGO African Parks.
Fewer than 5,000 wild black rhinos and only 1,000 Eastern Black Rhinos remain in Africa; and their future is severely threatened by poaching for the illegal demand for their horns. This translocation project represents an urgent and valuable opportunity to expand the range and protection of the black rhino, and demonstrate how captive rhinos can help supplement and repopulate wild populations within secure landscapes.
Three female and two male black rhinos, ranging between two to nine years old, were chosen. Jasiri, Jasmina and Manny were born in Safari Park Dvůr Králové (Czech Republic); Olmoti comes from Flamingo Land (United Kingdom) and Mandela is from Ree Park Safari (Denmark). The rhinos are being donated to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the government body that manages Akagera National Park, the rhino’s new home in Rwanda, in partnership with African Parks.
All five rhinos have undergone months of sensitisation to prepare them and minimise stress to ensure the safest journey possible. During the voyage, which will be approximately 30 hours long, they will be inside custom-made crates, and fed and watered regularly. Experienced zookeepers from the Safari Park Dvůr Králové as well as veterinarian Dr. Pete Morkel, a world expert in rhino translocations, will accompany and monitor the rhinos throughout the entire trip, as well as their release into the Park.
“By undertaking a highly supervised and well-planned gradual acclimation process, we believe these rhinos will adapt well to their new environment in Rwanda. They will first be kept in bomas – enclosures made by wooden poles. Later, they will enjoy larger enclosures in a specially protected area. The final step will be to release them into the northern part of the national park where they will roam free,“ said Přemysl Rabas, Director of Safari Park Dvůr Králové.
Akagera National Park is an ideal destination for the reintroduction of the animals.
Rhinos were first reintroduced in 2017 – a decade after they were last seen in the country. In that year, African Parks successfully translocated 18 Eastern black rhinos from South Africa to Akagera in collaboration with RDB and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The translocation entailed a 2,485-mile journey. This success is testament to both the potential of the park to sustain a rhino population, but also to the high levels of security and effective park management. You can read more about that translocation on the African Parks website.
This video is from 2017.
Since 2010, the Park has undergone a revival with poaching practically eliminated, allowing for key species to be reintroduced. In 2015 lions were reintroduced and have since tripled in number [see photo below]. Strong community conservation efforts have resulted in tremendous support for the Park, and tourism is now leading to Akagera being 80% self-financing, generating US $2 million a year, which goes back to the Park and surrounding communities.
“We have been preparing for this moment for years and are excited to build on our efforts to revitalize the Park with the RDB and the successful introduction of the first round of rhinos in 2017,“ said Jes Gruner, Park Manager of Akagera National Park. “This transport of five rhinos from Europe is historic and symbolic, and shows what is possible when dedicated partners collaborate to help protect and restore a truly endangered species.”
These conditions also will allow for the ongoing study of the five animals from Europe and the existing population as they gradually integrate to contribute to a stable population of black rhinoceros in East Africa. The Park is a key component of the Government of Rwanda’s strategy to foster economic growth while providing a secure future for wildlife in the country.
“The translocation of five rhinos from European zoos to Rwanda will further enhance the natural ecosystem in Akagera National Park. This partnership with our European friends is a testament to Rwanda’s commitment to conservation. Today, poaching is almost non-existent in our four national parks and we are confident that these rhinos will thrive in their natural habitat in Akagera. They are a positive addition to Akagera, a Park where tourists can now visit the African Big Five,” said Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer, RDB.
The Rwanda Development Board is responsible for ensuring that the tourism and conservation goals of the Government of Rwanda are successfully implemented.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria comprises more than 400 zoos, aquariums and other institutions across 48 countries, collaborating for the advancement of conservation, research and education. EAZA Ex Situ Programmes is responsible for the planning and administration of over 200 programmes.
Safari Park Dvůr Králové is one of the best rhino breeders outside of Africa. So far, 46 black rhinos have been born there and the park coordinates efforts to save the northern white rhino. The park assists with conservation of rhinos, even in the wild. In 2014 and 2017, the park organized public burnings of rhino horn stockpiles to raise awareness of the plight of rhinos.
The Akagera Management Company (AMC) is a public-private partnership between RDB and African Parks and has been responsible for fully managing Akagera National Park since 2010. African Parks manages 15 national parks and protected areas covering over 10.5 million hectares in Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia.”
To follow the progress of the rhinos follow #rhinostorwanda on Twitter.
The rebirth of Akagera
Akagera is almost unrecognisable today from what it had become 20 years ago when it seemed destined to be lost forever. While peace was finally restored after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis, Akagera’s demise was just starting. Refugees returning to Rwanda after the genocide were battling to survive. Forests were cut for timber and the park’s savannah became home to tens of thousands of long-horned cattle that displaced wildlife. Rhinos disappeared and lions were hunted to local extinction. The park’s value was “diminished to the point of not existing at all.” This makes Akagera’s revival even more remarkable.
To be honest, I didn’t expect to see a lot of wildlife when I first went on safari to Akagera National Park three years ago (working in conservation in Uganda may have spoiled me!) I was therefore thrilled beyond words to see a leopard (just a few metres from us). Later we spent half an hour in the company of three young lions, offspring of the first lions reintroduced to the park.
Every safari in Akagera is more interesting than the first – I can’t wait to revisit!
Nairobi National Park. The muzungu’s first city safari!
A city safari in Nairobi National Park. An early morning game drive to match any safari in the bush!
It seemed weird to leave our four-star city hotel and drive through commuter traffic for an early morning safari. Usually, it’s a question of stumbling out of a tent into the Bush… [Note to self: next time, don’t miss the safari vehicle when it leaves the hotel!] If you’ve seen the incongruous-looking photographs of wildlife in front of a modern urban background, then you may know I’m talking about Nairobi National Park (which is actually in Kenya’s capital, making it very accessible for weekend or business visitors).
A flight with Safarilink shows the proximity of Nairobi National Park to Kenya’s capital
Despite many wonderful safari experiences in Uganda, notably while working for the Uganda Conservation Foundation, this was my first safari in Nairobi National Park and my first time to see White Rhino, Thomson’s Gazelle, Wildebeest, Eland, Ostrich and Reticulated Giraffe in the wild. (Uganda has Eland but they are very shy, and Ostrich are in the remote northeastern park of Kidepo).
Nairobi National Park is a pocket-handkerchief-sized 117 km² and the animal diversity is pretty amazing! The park is home to to 100s of species – elephant being one of the few that are missing. You’ll have to go to Maasai Mara, Amboseli or Tsavo – among many other conservancies and National Parks – to see elephants.
Aerial view of Nairobi National Park in the rain
Immediately we entered the park, there were the familiar smells of damp vegetation and animal manure. It smells like a National Park, it sounds like a National Park, and the variety of wildlife we encountered was soon to demonstrate that we really were in a National Park, despite it being surrounded on three sides by human development. Small aircraft flying overhead gave the Park another dimension. (You might say Nairobi National Park is boxed in from the air too).
‘Pemba’ the Swahili for warthog, Nairobi National Park. Photo Kenya Tourist Board / Magical Kenya
We passed the site where the Kenya Wildlife Service made history and burned the stockpile of confiscated elephant ivory. Kenya has taken bold steps to tackle poaching. It is well documented that the sale of legally gotten ivory (through the natural death of an elephant, for example) has stimulated unprecedented demand for ivory in China and fuelled the catastrophic levels of ivory poaching across Africa.
“If no elephant ever complained about the weight of their tusks, why take them off?” #WorthMoreAlive Kenya Wildlife Service
Click on this image to read why “Why it makes sense to burn #elephant and #rhino #ivory stockpiles…” #worthmorealive
The destruction of ivory, sometimes by burning, but these days by crushing, is the only answer. The temptation to steal confiscated ivory (valued at several thousand US dollars per kilo) is too much for many, and the penalties for being caught not harsh enough.
Early morning, our driver Anthony communicated in Kiswahili by radio with the other drivers in our safari convoy and announced that another driver had just spotted a pride of eleven lions ahead of us. (You can imagine our excitement!) We paused above a wooded ravine but it seemed the big cats had gone to cover. They were (understandably) not in a rush to come out and be gawped at by us lot!
RIP Mohawk the lion, seen here in his natural habitat: the sad reality is that lions which leave the safety of Nairobi National Park will be lost in the surrounding city and killed. Photo Will Knocker
Instead of seeing lions, we were rewarded with seeing three White Rhino.
Nairobi National Park has a population of 27 White Rhino. It was wonderful to see them in the wild! (To date, I’ve only seen White Rhino at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda. Uganda’s own population of Black and White Rhino are extinct).
Look carefully and you will spot three of Nairobi National Park’s white rhinos !
[Note to self: wear something warm if you’re going on an early morning game drive when the safari vehicle pop-up roof is open!]
An ostrich and a wildebeest. Ostrich are much bigger than I had imagined them to be. Uglier too! We saw five of these big birds in Nairobi National Park
Did you know… a group of zebras are called a DAZZLE? Common zebra grazed one side of the dirt track
My most memorable moment of our Nairobi safari was watching the single, elegant giraffe walking slowly down the track towards us
It peered at us through the open roof as it brushed the side of the van. With gasps of excitement as the giraffe walked within inches of us, not one of us professional travel writers, bloggers and photographers managed to take a decent photograph!
[Note to self: do read the manual before you use your new camera for the first time!]
Wildlife is under immense pressure by human encroachment. Nowhere demonstrates this better than Nairobi National Park: human development on three sides of the park; planes flying overhead; the need to install water systems for the wildlife because the human populations are preventing water reaching the park. Controversially, infrastructure projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway have also been designed to go through the park. I’m a big fan of train travel – as you may remember from my trip on the Lunatic Express from Nairobi to Mombasa but I believe that one day Kenyans will regret the decision to let the train route go through the park (many are bitterly against it). Why can’t the SGR and the bypass be rerouted around the outside of the park? Why can’t underpasses be built? The deal has been done. We just pray disturbance of animals is kept to a minimum.
Have you been on safari in Nairobi National Park?
I really enjoyed our early morning game drive and saw many species I had never seen before. A safari in Nairobi National Park is a fantastic day out if you have limited time in the capital. It’s a delightful way for people who live in Nairobi to (re)connect with their incredible natural heritage too.
Vervet Monkey waiting for me to put something in the bin…. so he can quickly remove it again! Near the hippo pools, Nairobi National Park
Where to find more info on safaris in Nairobi National Park
I think that if I lived in Nairobi, I would volunteer with Friends of Nairobi National Park. Check out their web site, plus the management’s own Nairobi National Park website and the Kenya Wildlife Service’s Nairobi National Park and Nairobi Safari Walk pages.
Wildlife fans will have to visit the Nairobi Animal Orphanage too! (It’s located in Nairobi National Park so you can visit after your game drive).
Feeding the cheetahs at Nairobi Animal Orphanage. PHOTO Nairobi Animal Orphanage
MIAW! Bottle-feeding a lion cub at Nairobi Animal Orphanage. PHOTO Nairobi Animal Orphanage
If you enjoyed my blog about Nairobi National Park, feel free to share it!
Have you read The Muzungu’s top 10 reasons for visiting #MagicalKenya?
Why Kenya’s ivory burning makes sense #worthmorealive
The ivory burning in Nairobi National Park, Kenya and what it means.
This weekend sees a historic conservation event: the burning of the biggest ever number of elephant tusks and rhino horn.
This week Uganda stands shoulder to shoulder with our conservation and tourism friends and colleagues across Africa who are meeting in Kenya to address the ivory poaching crisis.
Conservation and tourism are inextricably linked. Protecting elephant, rhino, gorillas and other animals means we are protecting jobs; we are providing a sustainable income, and access to education, to remote communities. Poaching for ivory or bushmeat may provide a few shillings or dollars to poachers cum subsistence farmers but the long-term benefits of ecotourism – through the long-term protection and survival of key species – are simply worth far more.
This is why we say elephants, rhinos – and even gorillas, chimpanzees and other animals – are worth more alive.
The drivers for poaching, the international networks that fund wildlife crime are the same, regardless of the country or the animal at risk. That is why we must work together, across borders.
“Why it makes sense to burn #elephant and #rhino #ivory stockpiles”
On 30 April Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will set fire to over 105 tonnes of ivory in Nairobi National Park. This is the biggest ever burning of ivory.
“By burning almost its entire ivory stockpile, Kenya is sending out the message that it will never benefit from illegal ivory captured from poachers or seized in transit. However, as the day of the burn approaches, commentators and experts have been lining up to condemn it. Some of the objections put forward are based on wrong assumptions; some deserve serious consideration.”
Kenyan conservationist Dr Paula Kahumbu is the CEO of Wildlife Direct. She writes in the UK’s The Guardian newspaper about the four reasons “Why it makes sense to burn #elephant and #rhino #ivory stockpiles.” Please read and share her article.
The story of a tusk – 28KG / VOI RIVER / 30/5/14 gives a very moving account of one of the elephants whose tusks ended up among the 10,000 being burned this Saturday.
For more updates on the #GiantsSummit and the historic ivory burning, follow the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Uganda Conservation Foundation on Facebook.
#worthmorealive #Tweets4Elephants are two trending hashtags to follow on Twitter.
Lessons in parenting from Mweya’s Mongooses!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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).
