In January of this year, we reported that two White-Tailed Mongooses had been brought into our care at HESC. We named them Mickey and Moose.
They were two separate cases but arrived in one month of one another.

Moose was the first to arrive of the two. She had been found as a young pup on her own in a plantation by the person who brought her in. They had tried to hand-rear her but realised it was not as easy as they had thought. Her legs were extremely weak when she arrived, and she battled to walk.
Mickey arrived within a month of Moose, having also been hand-reared by a family who realised it would be best to release him into the wild but were not sure he would survive if they did so themselves, hence asking HESC to help with the process, and we gladly obliged.
It was fortunate timing for the two, as they became inseparable within days of meeting each other.

With the right care, diet and exercise, Moose’s legs got strong quickly, and she has grown strong and confident together with Mickey by her side.
Our work was complete. With both of them being fully weaned and in excellent health we decided it was time to give them their second chance at life in the wild, where we belong.
We released them close to the Jabulani stables. As we released them we gave them each an egg, which they both ate and enjoyed, before starting to investigate their new environment.

We watched with smiles on our faces and hope in our hearts for their new lives, and best of all, knowing that they have each other through this adventure. It wasn’t long until they scurried off in excitement, and we saw the last few flashes of their sweet white-tipped tails.

Thank you to our curator team for the love and care they have given Mickey and Moose.
We hope they live long and happy lives back in the wild.
The HESC Team.