Mevrou Mongoose

    It was time for another dog walk. Yes, the dogs get walked every day at around 6pm. Today was different. It was overcast and rainy, so we were walking earlier - something I should learn not to do as invariably something happens on these earlier walks! 

    I had put on a large t-shirt over my vest because it was still dripping and off we pottered on the bikes. We had just crested the first mountain and were free-wheeling down when the dogs predictably began to chase something small through the bush. As usual, shrieking at them did no bloody good whatsoever, and Coda, the evil little sod that he is, grabbed it and threw it into the air. 

    I managed to chase them off and find the little thing that they had been chasing - a little slender mongoose, obviously still a baby. They had hurt it as it was dragging its leg as it scurried through the bush, frantically trying to escape the dogs. I was gutted that they had again hurt a little animal. 

    I ripped off my t-shirt and together, Pio and I managed to catch it and once it was wrapped up in my shirt it calmed right down and stayed still. I put it in-between my legs on the quad bike and rode home whilst Pio walked the dogs on down the mountain. Cady and Kita followed me and forgot about their walk. 

    Back at home, I found a box to put it in and wrapped it in a towel. I took out some meat to feed it and by this time Pio was home with Bear and Coda. We inspected the little mite, and it showed great spirit, hissing and growling at us. 

    This was a great sign - the more spirit it showed the more likely it was to live. I gave it some mince and it ate very enthusiastically, which was another good sign. It was dragging its leg but looked fit and healthy otherwise. 

    I made the mistake of trying to get some water into the box. The feisty little thing growled and spat at me, but I had no choice other than to actually put my hand into the box to put the little container of water down. It launched at me and bit me on the finger, drawing blood. It was more of a scrape than an actual bite, but there was most definitely dripping blood and a plaster was required. 

    As we were off to dinner with Frankie and David down in the valley, I thought that I could take it along and ask David if he had any ideas for what I should do next. David is a big conservationist and works for the Wildlife Fund here in Nam. He travels a huge amount of the time and does game counts all over the country. Sadly - he was away, but Debbie was there. 

    We successfully identified it as a slender mongoose, which I hadn't known up until that point. I knew it was a mongoose but I hadn't known what kind. Debbie also said that it was very promising that the little thing would survive if it was eating and moving around. 

    But as the evening progressed the quieter and more sleepy the little creature became. He was also covered in lice that crawled over him and the towel. He moved into one position and lay there all evening, not even getting up to growl and spit at us when we poked into the box to check if he was OK. 

    Debbie also advised that I go for a rabies shot, as I had posted the question on Facebook and everyone said yes, I would need to get the shot as mongoose are natural carriers of rabies. Damn - what a mission. 

     The next morning, the little mongoose was sadly no longer with us and had gone off to the Happy Hunting Grounds. I was gutted and so angry with my dogs - why of why did they try to kill absolutely everything that moved? It meant again that I would never be able to have the menagerie that I so badly wanted of goats, piggies, meerkats, cats and dogs, all cohabiting happily. 

    I had to get over my little bout of misery and phone the doctor to ask about the rabies injections. They managed to push me in urgently and I had my first shot that morning, with follow ups required on Day 3, Day 7, Day 14 and so on. 

    Piet was visiting from SA and landed that afternoon after my first shot. He then came with me to the doc the following week on day 3 and day 7. It was when he was with me that the doctor came out to call me in - and instead of announcing my name, he called out, "Mevrou Mongoose..."

    He has since called me that on every occasion, and I have now been for my 6th shot, the 7th being in two weeks time. He really is a funny soul. I now have bruises and two lame arms with these endless shots. And yesterday I seemed to have my first side effects, coming down with a horrendous headache, being unbearably sleepy and feeling generally under the weather. I slept most of the afternoon. 

    So the memory of the gorgeous little mongoose will remain with us for some time yet. We wish that things had been different and that we had been able to save the little thing. We are gutted that he didn't make it and that our dogs are again to blame for the lack of wildlife in our area as they chase everything that moves. We would love to live harmoniously with the wildlife around us, but it would seem that it will never happen. 

    Maybe one day when the dogs are older they will calm this insane chasing of everything and we will be able to co-exist.