With My Own Eyes
go! - South Africa|August/September 2021
The tortoise and the mongoose
Miah Putter
With My Own Eyes

THE TORTOISE AND THE MONGOOSE

I live in HoedspruitWildlife Estate near the Kruger Park. The estate is a conservation area and wild animals roam freely among the houses.

On 18 March 2021, I heard something outside and took my Canon PowerShot SX50 camera to investigate. At first, I only noticed a Speke’s hinge-back tortoise 1 – quite rare in the area. I walked closer to take photos. A family of about five dwarf mongooses arrived. Maybe I’d heard them earlier – they make squeaky sounds.

They were very curious and watched me. Some even ventured closer until they were only a metre away. 2 They’re inquisitive by nature but will scatter if you make any sudden moves.

This story is from the August/September 2021 edition of go! - South Africa.

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This story is from the August/September 2021 edition of go! - South Africa.

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