Dwarf mongooses are gregarious animals living in family groups and adhering to hierarchy. The alpha male and female are generally in charge, but this varies from circumstance to habitat to food resources. These creatures generally eat snakes, eggs, and insects and may eat rodents – but are not known to attack animals bigger than them. That in itself makes this sighting so much more special as these mongooses took turns in tearing a hare apart.
“My colleague Bushi and I were checking the reserve for fire break readiness and came across a group of mongoose on the road. As we stopped they scattered, I noticed the injured scrub hare and grabbed my camera – as I never go anywhere without it.”
“It looked as if though the dominant mongoose was the only one attacking the scrub hare at this point and once he/she had their share, the next most dominant one had their turn. It took quite a long time for the hare to die – the whole scene probably took place over 30 minutes.”
“A couple of mongooses then pulled the scrub hare into the grass and out of sight – as we lost sight we also then moved off. This was a very strange and rare sighting for me. I have been at Mala Mala for 4 years and have never experienced anything like this. What was strange to me though was that the mongooses took chances in attacking the hare. I half expected them to gang up on it like wild dogs.”