The Selous’s mongoose (Paracynictis selousi) is a mammal endemic to Southern Africa and named after Frederick Selous. It is found in the northern parts of Southern Africa and southern Central Africa, from Angola to Zambia. Its status with the IUCN is listed as “least concern” making it an opportunistic target when game hunting in the wild.

The Selous’s mongoose prefers a habitat of open scrub, savannah grass, and woodlands, with short to medium-sized grasses. It lives in burrows, either that it has built itself with its strong front paws or it also uses other abandoned burrows to shelter in.

These mongooses are nocturnal and usually solitary but are seen in pairs at times. Not much is known about breeding habits, but the litter consists of 2-4 young, born between August and March.

This particular mongoose is a carnivore, feasting on birds and their eggs, small reptiles, insects, mice, rats, and frogs. In turn, they are prey for large birds of prey, like hawks and eagles, as well as snakes and jackals.

AT A GLANCE

Name:
Paracynictis selousi

Male Weight:
3-4.8 pounds

Male Length:
24-35 inches

Range:
Southern Africa

Life span:
Unknown

Hunting The Selous’s Mongoose

The Selous’s Mongoose is fast and evasive, this tiny mammal is a perfect game hunting trophy.

Size and Appearance

On your game hunting safari, keep your eyes peeled for a small animal, roughly 24-35 inches long that is extremely fast-moving. Their body is a pale speckled gray color, at times a yellowish-brown-gray mix. They have a white underbelly, and the tip of their tail is also white. They have dark, short, stubby legs with long claws for digging, small ears, and a short snout.

Hunting Methods

When we mention keeping an eye out for the mongooses when hunting in the wild, keep two peeled, as these fast little creatures appear and disappear with remarkable speed on a game hunting adventure. They may be spotted while driving around on your Africa hunting trip, after which the hunter continues the spot-and-stalk hunt on foot, allowing for a fair chase. However, being nocturnal, they can be targeted during an African hunt taking place after dark and using spotlights.

Challenges and Rewards

The Selous’s mongoose, as with all other members of the mongoose family, are extremely speedy and will require game hunting enthusiasts to be on alert to ensure they manage to successfully target this specialty game when hunting in the wild on their Africa hunting trip. The mongoose would make an interesting talking point in any game hunting trophy room.

Rifles and Requirements

The Solous’s mongoose as a game hunting target is extremely small, weighing less than five pounds. A suggestion would be to target the Selous’s mongoose using either a shotgun with bird-hunting ammunition or even a .22 rimfire rifle during your Africa hunting trip.