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| I borrowed my sister's car for the trip |
I wasn't expecting to run into any bandits in broad daylight, but these gangsters are known for being active during the day. Their usual modus operandi is to only start moving about some time after sunrise. They will spend a few hours in the morning to hunt for unsuspecting victims and then laze around for the rest of the day. After an afternoon snack they head back at to their digs, well before dark.
Luckily these bandeds were not paying me much attention and seemed to be absorbed in their own frenzied activity. I took the opportunity to pull out my cell phone camera and tried to capture some of the action.
(You'll notice that I've clearly still not mastered the arts of videography, nor am I able to get a decent quality video out of Youtube... Yes Google, I hate you... But I can't live without you... Which just makes me hate you even more!)
Video: A group of Banded Mongoose (Gebande Muishond - Mungos mungo) running around in the rest camp
It was then that I spotted what the gang was up to. They were moving their latest recruits to a new pad! All members of the gang look after the new recruits, but the males in particular tend to stay behind to protect and entertain the youngsters at the den.
Interestingly several females in the group will breed at the same time. They even synchronise their births to the same night. These bandeds are so integrated into their gangs that the females will even suckle each other's pups.
Like all proper mob families the gangs are based on strong family loyalty. Males will occasionally leave the family to join or take over another family, but females and some males usually stay in the same family their entire lives. There is little internal conflict, and dominance seems to be largely based on age.
When there is danger all family members will huddle together and gang up on the intruder. The youngsters will be protected in the centre of the milling mass. Gangs are usually 5-30 strong, but mobs of up to 70 have been known. There is even a story of a male that climbed a tree to (successfully) rescue his brother-in-arms from the claws of an eagle. For these guys and gals the gang and its members are the number one priority.
These mobsters are quite a talkative bunch and like to keep in contact by talking amongst one another while scouring the neighbourhood for easy prey.
As with any proper gang, the mobsters are very touchy about their own turf. In general they prefer to avoid conflict when two gangs meet, but if things get rough they will face off (I imagine it similar to those "dance movies"). If things get really ugly the gang members will get physical. Individuals from the different mob families will battle it out ,one on one, for hours on end. Only stopping when night falls.
Video: Waiting anxiously for the rest of the group to bring the rest of the pups
These bandeds prefer to snack on beetles and grubs, although they won't turn their nose up at any other small critter, dead or alive, that cross their path and will even snack on the odd fruit. Like most mobsters they don't like to share, but they have a tendency to utter a few joyous curses when they stumble onto a hidden treasure. This obviously has the effect of attracting the attention of other gang member within earshot and suddenly the founder has to share the spoils with the rest of the family.
The mobsters weren't paying me much notice and I didn't hear any threats about swimming or fishes, so I decided to go under cover (literally) and see where they were taking the new recruits. I found the spot close by and crouched behind a small bush for a better view. I didn't have to wait long for the rest of the pups to arrive.
Gangs like to move around in their territory and will move to a new safe house even with youngsters about. Seldom sleeping at the same hideout more than a few nights. When the new recruits are ready to join the business end of the family each will form a bond with an adult whom will then show it the ropes.
Video: Two pups arrive safely at the new den
Although I wasn't able to get any good mugshots, I don't mind. It was a great sighting and I got some nifty video clips.
I don't like staying too long at an animal sighting. After snapping the last video clip I decided to leave them in peace. Moving pups is a stressful business and they didn't need the likes of me snooping around the new den. Besides, I didn't feel like going swimming with any fishes.
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