The Indian mongoose is a weasel-like animal known scientifically as Hepestes javanicus and is native to Asia.  This particular species of mongoose is well-known for its ability to avoid being attacked and killed by cobras.  They are very quick and agile and seem fearless in the presence of a fully hooded cobra who is ready to strike at any moment.  This fearlessness has earned the Indian mongoose a place in a well-known Indian folk tale and as a featured character in a classic children’s book.

In the Indian folk tale, The Mongoose and the Brahmin’s Wife, a mongoose is kept as a protector of the Brahman’s new born son.  Both the Brahman and his wife leave the baby and the mongoose alone and when they return they find the mongoose’s mouth covered in blood.  The wife assumes that the mongoose has killed their son and in return, kills the mongoose.  She then finds that her son is still sleeping without any harm and then finds a dead cobra next to the baby’s cradle.  It is then realized that the mongoose had killed the cobra to defend it from harming the sleeping baby.  This tale was is part of a collection of Indian folk tales known as the Pantantra tales.  The Pantantra tales were thought to have been written in 2 B.C. by Vishnu Sharma.  These tales were written with a message at the end for the reader to take into consideration and to use in everyday life.  For the tale of The Mongoose and the Brahmin’s Wife, the message is to wait a moment before reacting too quickly to a situation. 

Another beloved story of an Indian mongoose is Rudylard Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.  In this story, a young mongoose is befriended by a young boy named Teddy and taken in as a pet.  Upon his first night in house, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is told by other animals that there is a fearsome black cobra by the name of Nag who is eating the young of the animal families.  Rikki-Tikki-Tavi knows that since he is a mongoose, he possesses the skills necessary to fight and possibly kill cobras.  Rikki-Tikki suceeds in killing a smaller poisonous snake which makes Nag and his wife Nagaina angry that there is a snake-killer who may take their own lives.  The cobras decide to kill the human family in hope that the mongoose will leave.  In the end, Rikki-Tikki kills both cobras and saves both the human family as well as the animal families from the wrath and fear that the cobras had used to control them.  As in The Mongoose and the Brahmin’s Wife, the mongoose shows bravery and fearlessness when put head to head with a deadly cobra.  Rudylard Kipling, who is known for writing The Jungle Book from which Rikki-Tikki-Tavi can be found in, was born in India and lived there for a number of years and no doubt was familiar with Indian folklore.  His story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi may have been his own version of The Mongoose and the Brahmin’s Wife. 

Because of the seemingly fearless nature of the Indian mongoose, parts of India and South East Asia still hold mongoose and cobra competitions where people may make bets on which animal will win the fight.  Contrary to popular belief which may have stemmed from tales about the mongoose, a mongoose can still be killed by a cobra bite.  Although a mongoose is a very quick animal, if distracted or placed in a situation where it cannot properly defend itself or hide, it can still lose a fight.  In a natural situation, a mongoose will only fight a cobra if it has no other option.  Mongooses do not seek out cobras just to kill and eat them as this is dangerous prey.  Most mongooses eat insects, small animals, nuts, and berries.  Mongooses have also been introduced to other places in an effort to control rat populations.  Unfortunately, because mongooses will eat a wide variety of things, places like Hawaii and Jamaica are now overrun with an introduced mongoose population. 

The stories about mongooses who kill cobras in the defense of humans are wonderful to hear and should continue to be passed down to future generations.  It is also important to know the facts about these animals as the stories should not be regarded as factual.  They are still just stories and that’s what makes them great to hear. 

Sources:

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/panchatantra-tales/mongoose-brahmins-wife.html

http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/rtt.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mongoose/

http://www.instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hawaii?Animals.mongoose

http://www.kipling.org.uk/kip_fra.htm