Community lures mongooses from car engine
Benoni had two unsuspecting visitors today: a pair of mongooses.
The mongooses might not have planned to visit the town when they woke up this morning, but at least they now know how far Benoni is from the Kruger National Park after a 450km trip to the East Rand.
Rynfield residents Riana and her husband Leon van Coppenhagen were on a short break in the Pretoriuskop area of the Kruger.
The couple departed from the destination at 8am on March 15.
They stopped at a petrol station along the way, and arrived home just after 3pm.
While unpacking the car, Riana noticed cricket-like sounds emanating from the car’s engine.
“Leon said to me it must be something in the engine, and I said no, how is it possible – I do not want to see it,” said Riana.
The couple soon saw the mongooses’ tails in the engine.
Fearing they would be bitten if they removed the animals, Riana posted a message on a community WhatsApp group to ask for assistance.
A few members of the public sprang into action.
After having a few bodies underneath the vehicle to lure the animals out, the little mammals eventually jumped down from the engine casing and made a dash for it.
They were eventually caught by the frantic volunteers, who included Paul and his wife Kim Raley, of the Crystal Park Community Police Forum (CPF), who safely put them in a box.
Riana told the City Times she is surprised the animals survived the trip from the Kruger.
The mongooses will be handed over to a rehabilitation centre.
