Where can I see and observe The Banded Mongoose in Uganda?
The best place to see the Banded Mongoose is taking the Banded Mongoose Experience in Queen Elizabeth Park.
The Best Place to see the Banded Mongoose in Uganda
Without a doubt, the best place to see the Banded Mongoose in Uganda is taking the Banded Mongoose Research Experience on the Mweya Peninsula in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Spending a morning or afternoon on the Mweya Peninsula with Banded Mongoose Researchers is undoubtedly an activity that is off the beaten tourist track and an unusual one at that, for most.
Those who take part in this Banded Mongoose Research Experience never regret it, and on top of it all, you will see other wildlife, and then there is the scenery of the Kazinga Channel as you make your way to the research area.
The best place to see the Banded Mongoose is on the Mweya Peneinsula in Queen Elizabeth Park, and the activity can be included in your Safari.
The Bande Mongoose Research Experience on the Mweya Peninsula in Queen Elizabeth Park
Banded Mongoose Facts
Banded mongooses have a coarse, brownish-gray coat, dark feet, a black-tipped tail, and dark bands across their back which is
their distinguishing feature. Their front feet have five digits, with long, curved claws used for scratching and digging. Their hind feet have four digits with claws, although they are shorter, heavier, and not as curved as the front claws.
They are about 12-18 inches (30-45 centimeters) long with a 6-12 inch (15-30 centimeter) long tail. They weigh 3-5.5 pounds (1.5-2.5 kilograms).
Banded mongooses are found in Sub-Sahara Africa, except for the Congo and southwestern Africa. They live in open habitats in grasslands, brushlands, woodlands, and rocky areas. They have a broad range and may travel more than 5 miles a day to forage for food.
They generally stay in one particular den for a few days at a time, a week at most, and will frequently return to favorite sites. While they are able to dig their burrows, these mongooses will usually use a natural crevice or an existing hole created by another animal.
They have developed a vocabulary of calls to communicate with each other, as well as anal and cheek glands to scent-mark their territory. They may also scent-mark each other after group separation or a mild scare.
Banded mongooses are primarily insectivorous but eat various foods, including beetles, crabs, earthworms, fallen fruit, grasshoppers, birds, eggs, rodents, and scorpions, slugs, snails, snakes, and termites. To break open hard food objects, such as eggs or snails, they throw the object vertically or backward, between the hind legs, and into a stone or other hard object.
They are very possessive of food, and when they find food, they eat it right away; there is no food sharing.
Courtship involves the male chasing the female and circling her with his tail held high, covering her with anal gland secretions. The female also actively participates in courtship, often lying on her back and wrestling with the male. Females may mate with several males within a group.
Gestation lasts two months, and two to six young are born in a litter. The young are born blind and with little hair; their eyes begin to open around day 10. They begin leaving the den for short periods at about four weeks old and start to regularly accompany adults on foraging expeditions at five weeks old. The female reaches sexual maturity at around 9-10 months.
They live around ten years in the wild and up to 17 years in human care. In the wild, less than 50 percent survive to three months of age.
The Banded Mongoose Research Experience:
The Banded Mongoose Behavioral Research Project is a one-of-a-kind experience that Safari-Goers can be a part of while in the northern area of Queen Elizabeth Park. There is about 400 Banded Mongoose split between a dozen groups here. They are the most habituated (used to humans) mongoose in the world. This is one of the longest and ongoing research projects with the banded mongoose anywhere in Africa.
You do not want to miss this delightful, engaging activity while visiting Queen Elizabeth Park. We must book it well in advance for you to include it in your itinerary.
It is a three-hour-long activity, and you are with a guide that will bring you to the research area. Here a researcher will give you their insights and observations.
Spending time with the Best Place to see the Banded Mongoose in Uganda is not on most -safari itineraries; however, those who make the 3-hour Trek – love it. All you need to do is to let us know that you like to spend a morning or afternoon with them, and we will work it into your safari itinerary. Contact us today.
