Wildlife series following the lives of the meerkat's bigger, more streetwise cousin, the banded mongoose.
The 'banded brothers' family of mongooses own the best territory in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park, but other mongoose mobs want a piece of the action. To keep hold of their patch, the bandeds need to be a big, strong group, and a regular supply of new recruits is maintained by the breeding females. A new litter from three of the older females has been born and they make their first foray above ground, but not all is right in the banded mongoose's world. The oldest female, Diva, is still pregnant. It's an unusual situation, and when Diva's pups are born they will face an uphill struggle to survive. To add to the problems, the new pups need babysitting at the den. Other mongoose mobs such as the banded mongoose's arch enemies the striped mongoose are taking advantage and muscling in on the banded's prize territory.
The Banded Brothers family are on the back foot. The once mighty mongoose mob have been forced to move den after a run-in with the Stripe mob and now the Banded family look a shadow of their former selves. Diva's youngest pup struggles to survive and, for her two stronger pups - Mungo and Mara - life isn't getting any easier. Battles with the Stripe gang are on the increase as are the resulting injuries. Choker, one of the senior males in the group, suffers the worst. An injury to his hind leg means his survival is in the balance. The Bandeds are being pushed from pillar to post but where is safe anymore?
After the most momentous fight with the Stripes yet, the Banded Brothers are reduced to shuddering wrecks. Once again a chief player has been tragically injured and they've also lost a prime piece of territory. Are the Banded Brothers turning soft? It's now or never for the family to prove their worth, they've no more chances left. If they want to hang on to their territorial legacy, they must focus on defending it from rival gangs on every side. But to do that well requires energy and with the rainy season ending, food supplies are drying up fast. And to top it all the family is expanding once again - good news, if Diva and the other mums can find enough to eat. Can the Bandeds bounce back this time, or will they lose Uptown forever?
The more of the latest litter of pups can survive to adulthood, the greater the chance the Bandeds have of remaining a force in this area. But there is a long way to go before these new pups are old enough to bolster the Bandeds' fighting force. The dry season is also here with a vengeance, making food harder to come by and increasing the competition between the various mongoose mobs that call Mweya their home. And aggression isn't just between rival mobs of mongoose now. Tensions are rising within the Banded Brothers family and infighting leads to some of the family being cast out into the wilderness!
Dexter Fletcher
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