I am a Hawaiian Mongoose and I am a renegade. I am only 2 years old. I was found when my eyes were just about to open in the middle of a road by some nice people. These nice people brought me to my new parents who was searching desperately for an animal like me after their beloved girl mongoose died after a long illness at age 6.
My mongoose ancestors were brought to the Hawaiian islands to catch rats long time ago by Captain Cook. My ancestors did not choose to be here. Unfortuneately the people didn't know that rats are nocturnal and mongooses are not (they didn't do their homework). Now they blame us for killing off their ground-laying exotic birds, giving no regards to the Ali'i (royalty) who also used large amounts of exotic bird feathers for their headdress and full length capes. The people treated us like rodents (pests). We are not rodents nor weasels. We do not have the type of teeth rodents have. The closest family to us is the African Meerkats. Now our home is Hawaii. The government wants to eradicate us. We do no harm. We carry no diseases. We rid people of bugs, centipedes, roaches and the kinds of bugs most people don't like to be in contact with. That is our main diet. Occasionally, we get a treat of lizards or chicken eggs but it is rare. Finding good food is hard. We are now part of delicate balancing equation in the necessary Eco-system of Hawaii, to rid of us is to cause some other bigger problem- do they not know that??
One day, the mean people will be sorry when we are all gone. Hawaii will have bad snakes and no more mongooses to help rid of them. Hawaii is a paradise right now because there are no snakes here (also NO rabies). On occasion they find snakes because people sneek them in or brown tree snakes catches a ride on wheel wells of planes from Guam. The airports have snake sniffing dogs to help. But one day, people will know what help we were but it will be too late. There will not be enough of us left!
I'm lucky I have adopted parents that loves me. I love them too! I am the luckiest mongoose in the world! But I am still a renegade. I hide from unfriendly people, so I could live. I just want to live, is that bad?? Won't you be my friend?
Before you add me as a friend, please read my profile. I am an animal. Unless you love animals don't bother to add me because I will not add you.