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
Undoubtedly, 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 will 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 Peninsula 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
Physical Description
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.
Size
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).
Native Habitat
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 daily to forage for food.
They generally stay in one separate den for a few days at a time, a week at most, and will frequently return to their favorite sites. While they can dig their burrows, these mongooses usually use a natural crevice or an existing hole created by another animal.
Communication
They have developed a vocabulary of calls to communicate with each other and anal and cheek glands to scent-mark their territory. They may also scent-mark each other after group separation or a mild scare.
Diet
Banded mongooses are primarily insectivorous but eat various foods, including beetles, crabs, earthworms, fallen fruit, grasshoppers, birds, eggs, rodents, scorpions, slugs, snails, snakes, and termites. To break open complex 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 thing.
They are very possessive of food, and when they find it, they eat it immediately; there is no food sharing.
Reproduction and Development
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 affairs, 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 people are born in a litter. The young are born blind with little hair; their eyes begin to open around day 10. They leave the den for short periods at about four weeks old and regularly accompany adults on foraging expeditions at five weeks old. The female reaches sexual maturity at around 9-10 months.
Lifespan
They live around ten years in the wild and up to 17 years in human care. In the wild, less than 50 percent survive 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 worldwide. This is one of the most prolonged and ongoing research projects with the banded Mongoose anywhere in Africa.
You will not miss this fun, engaging activity while visiting Queen Elizabeth Park. We must book it well in advance 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.
