Dwarf Mongooses

When I go to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, I always make time to visit the dwarf mongoose enclosure.  Dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula) are originally from parts of east and southern Africa.  They average about 18 to 28 centimeters in length and about 200 to 350 grams in weight.  They are small and irresistibly cute.  

Dwarf mongoose enclosure at Tennoji Zoo. (Photo taken April 2012).

In the wild, they often make their homes in termite mounds, and their display at Tennoji Zoo includes replica termite mounds, complete with a fake lizard. 

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a 2008 assessment of dwarf mongooses gave them the status of “Least Concern”.  It’s nice to know that they are not an endangered species.

On one of my visits, I was lucky enough to arrive just at feeding time.  A zookeeper entered the enclosure with a bamboo tube that had holes drilled into it like a flute.  The bamboo tube was full of some kind of mealworm or insect larvae, and when the dwarf mongooses saw it, they all came scurrying out of their holes.

It was fascinating to watch the dwarf mongooses scratch and sniff at the tube.

I guess even dwarf mongooses have to work for their dinners.

Gotcha!

The video below of grooming dwarf mongooses was recorded on April 15, 2012.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this posting were taken in January 2012.

Cute.   Very cute!