A group of workers found themselves with some very tiny, persistent shadows. FreeMe stepped in to rescue them!
Ballito, South Africa (16 April 2026) – A group of small banded mongoose pups, each no bigger than a hand, were found wandering where they shouldn’t have been.
In the Ballito area, workers noticed what seemed to be their den under a drainpipe. The pups had been seen the day before, and again early that morning. At first, it seemed best to leave them be, but by afternoon, they’d become little shadows!
“After [they] had started following workers around, it was decided to rather capture them for their own safety, and get them through to FreeMe Wildlife.” the organisation shared.
When rescuer Elishia arrived, the pups were already showing signs of stress from the heat and the day’s adventure.
“They were given some fluids to help them with stress and hydration after their escapades in the heat of the day.” shares FreeMe.
From there, it was into a transport crate for the journey back to FreeMe Wildlife. But don’t let their size fool you. Right off the bat they were fierce!
“This Banded Mongoose pup may look cute, but it knows how to use those baby teeth in protest to being handled, and we like it just like that!”
From the very beginning, as it is with all FreeMe rescues, the goal was to keep them wild. Now affectionately known as ‘The Bandits’ the pups have flourished under careful, hands-off care.
“These guys have flourished under the care of the FreeMe Wildlife team. Hand-raised and kept wild, they form the perfect picture of innocence and beauty.”
Everything they’re doing now is practice for survival. In one recent update, the team shared how the pups are already developing natural foraging skills.
“By throwing eggs between their legs onto a hard surface, they’re using a natural foraging technique to crack open tough food sources they wouldn’t be able to bite through yet.”
“Banded mongooses are incredibly intelligent animals and these pups are essentially ‘training’ their coordination, problem-solving skills, and independence, one egg toss at a time.”
In the wild, banded mongooses rely heavily on their troop. They stay in tight-knit family groups where adults work together to raise and protect their young. Without that structure, pups this young rarely stand a chance on their own.
Thanks to FreeMe, these little bandits have a strong chance of survival together in the wild, once they have learned the skills they’ll need to one day return to where they belong.
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