Terrific Thursday Tails: Mongoose

How do you picture bravery? Something you see in your idol? Bungee jumping? You finally talking to your crush? No matter what bravery means to each one of us, we know it’s not easy to be brave.

Perhaps there are things we can learn from mongooses (yes, that’s the plural for mongoose, so it’s not ‘mongeese’) as they are naturally brave creatures. Think Rikki-tikki-tavi, Rudyard Kipling’s fictional mongoose character included in The Jungle Book.

Yes, they maybe small in size but don’t let them fool you. They are one of the very few mammals that are brave enough to put up fights with venomous snakes such as king cobras.

Bonus: Watch how a mongoose faces off with a cobra.

Mongooses are primarily found in South Africa while some are found in parts of southern Asia and the Iberian Peninsula.

Some species of mongoose live in a cooperative society where each member of the pack plays an important role. Each of them has a specific duty, some are hunters while some stay behind and 'baby sit'. In this order, older members and youngsters are often nurtured by the entire pack, with kills being brought back to the home front and freely shared.

Leadership lesson

Nelson Mandela once said:

“I learnt that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who doesn’t feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Leaders are brave even when they are afraid. They have their fears but they do not let it dictate their life, and that is what makes them different.

Leaders develop other people. They bring out the best in people by helping them see their full potential and helping them achieve their goals. They understand the importance of helping and serving others regardless of age and gender because everyone is important for they all contribute to society one way or another.