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Mongoose on Alert

A mongoose attentively inspects around its burrow before crossing a clearing into the heavy brush on the opposite side. They sometimes chitter an alarm to other mongooses. The small Asian mongoose or Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) was introduced to sugar plantations in the Caribbean in 1872 and in Hawaii in 1883 with the intent of reducing the rat population. Many consider them cute, but with no natural predators in Hawaii, they are invasive and detrimental for native species, especially ground nesting birds. Venerated or reviled, they have a long history in literature and mythology.

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Uploaded on November 17, 2021
Taken on November 4, 2021