A python got trapped by a gang of 20+ angry mongooses. They all go at the snake at the same time, trying to rip it apart. An interaction we have never seen before!!
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Pierre Nel, a wildlife lover, was out visiting a friend in Marloth Park when he witnessed this once-in-a-lifetime sighting. Pierre shared his footage and story with LatestSightings.com.
“We had just returned from dinner back to the house; it was extremely dark due to a power outage, and the sounds of nature and the bush were so tranquil. That’s until screeching and whining broke the peaceful atmosphere. My wife at the time said it sounded like a group of angry Indian Mynahs.”
“Out we went with our phone torches as lights to investigate what and where this sound was coming from. We all got a shock when we saw well over twenty very angry mongooses screaming and screeching as they were attacking a python.”
The gang was relentless, and they attacked from every angle; some were biting while others were scratching and clawing at the snake. The snake, on the other hand, did not even try to attack once. The snake knew that it was outnumbered and overpowered and that there was no chance it could attack all of them.
The mongooses were protecting their family, especially the little ones. They showed no mercy to the snake. Some mongooses boldly faced the snake’s head and its dangerous fangs, attacking it, while others targeted its body, attacking continuously.
Banded Mongoose are often the target of many predators, and due to their small size, they find strength in numbers. They will gang up and attack exactly like they did to this python. Sometimes they will not stop the attack until the threat is dead, and other times they will do it until the threat leaves.
The python at this point realized that if it did not make a run for it, it was very likely that it would end up dying. So, the snake made for a small branch that had been lying on the floor. This gave it some cover and protected its head from the attacks and bites. But its body was still very exposed, and it needed to go even further into cover.
The mongoose at this point just held back a moment. And that was all that was needed for the snake to make its final getaway. A thick shrub was not too far off, and the snake quickly tried to get away. The mongoose, realizing the threat, were moving off, huddled together, and watched for a moment as the snake disappeared into the thicket. And then they ran off into the darkness. Silence and peace returned to the air, and it all ended like the flip of a light switch.