Mongoose: The Story Of An Unlikely Predator Our World

A cobra's venom can kill a man in minutes, yet a pack of banded mongooses will mob one with confidence. The Martial eagle can easily kill a single mongoose but it often confounded by a team. Uniting as one is the banded mongooses' greatest strength. Wilderness Warriors follows the fortunes of one pack of banded mongooses out in the Musiara Marsh in Kenya's Maasai Mara. The group is lead by a dominant female who has a close relationship with the top male. She is usually one of the first to emerge every morning and she will decide when they will head off and where they'll go. The marsh is a favoured hunting ground and snails are a favourite food. The mongooses can't crack the shells with their teeth but they are inventive tool users and smash the shells against rocks. Crocodile eggs are broken in the same way, hairy caterpillars are rubbed in the sand to get rid of the irritating bristles and snakes are tackled co-operatively. The birth of babies is cause for great excitement. All the adults take turns babysitting, even the males do their fair share. When the babies are threatened by a huge monitor lizard, the guards raise the alarm. When a martial attacks the whole group rushes to the rescue but when a pride of lions appear, they all hide in a hollow log. Sometimes it is better to dash for cover than make a stand. But the most serious threat to the pack is a neighbouring group of banded mongooses. When a raiding party discovers the Musiara pack's nursery den, the situation is serious. If the aliens can get inside the den, they will kill the babies and steal any females. The babysitters valiantly fight them off but they are outnumbered. Fortunately the rest of the group return in the nick of time. A battle ensues but with babies at stake, the home team is more determined. United, these brave warriors are a match for all creatures great and small. Together they are a force to be reckoned with out in the African wilderness.

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