THE MUNGOOSE 
Tue Larct Grey Muncoose 
(Mungos cafer) 
Syn.: Herpestes cafer 
Also known as the Grijse Muishond ; Kommetje-gat-kat ; 
Black-tailed Mungoose ; Kafir Mungoose ; Umvuzi of 
Amaxosa ; Mvunti of Swazis. 
The Large Grey Mungoose is so called because 
it is of comparatively large size, and is speckled, 
the predominating hue being grey. This mun- 
goose inhabits Africa from the Cape to the southern 
borders of the Sahara. It is found in all parts of 
South Africa, but is nowhere actually abundant. 
It is most frequently met with in the more or less 
wooded districts where the rainfall is plentiful, 
which is mainly on the eastern side of South Africa. 
In Natal I often saw it in my wanderings in the 
bush-veld. For the twelve years I was at the 
Natal Museum we received an average of five or 
six annually from the districts around Pietermar- 
itzburg. 
It is a shy and secretive animal, hiding as a rule 
by day and venturing forth at sundown and during 
the night. In quiet, secluded localities it ventures 
forth at all times of the day, but in the vicinity of 
man it is strictly nocturnal, for it has a wholesome 
fear not only of him, but his dogs. Its favourite 
hiding-places are clefts and crannies in rocks, down 
‘ the deserted burrows of other animals, and in dense 
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