The Indian grey mongoose is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia.

The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees, and takes shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. It is an excellent climber and usually lives singly or in pairs. Its prey includes rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and a variety of invertebrates.

On a hot (really really hot) summer day, we managed to find a sub-adult Mongoose very close to a main road. While we were at a distance (behind our car), it took sometime for this one to take courage and go looking for food for the day. Here are some hide and seek moments with this acrobatic combat specialist.

BTW, The Indian grey mongoose is famous for taking on venomous snakes like cobras — its lightning-fast reflexes and thick fur help it dodge deadly strikes.

It’s also surprisingly clever: researchers have seen mongooses use teamwork and even “tools” like rocks to crack open eggs, showing off a level of intelligence rare in small mammals.

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