There are many, many species of mongoose. In fact, meerkats area type
of mongoose. Anyway, yes, some people in India really did have their
own little Rikki Tikki Tavi (anyone remember that movie?). Some still
do, just as some in Africa have pet meerkats. However they are more
like the prowling outdoor cat than a pet ferret. They roam the grounds,
let you pet them, but need to be "free".

I have a picture of a pet mongoose lying in a hammock much like a
ferret that I found on the internet. Some people try to keep mongoose
and meerkat as pets. This is not good as they are not domestic. It may
work for some to keep a mongoose, but in reality they are wild animals
- just because something is friendly to you, does not mean it has lost
the urges of nature in roaming, breeding, hunting, etc.

Also my semi-friend who is involved with "urban exploration" (taking
pictures of abandoned buildings) messaged me the other day when he was
in Hawaii - this must have been in January. He asked me if there were
ferrets in Hawaii, to which I told him they aren't wild animals, so
no - and now I know what to tell him he saw. He said it "moved really
weird" and he was trying to take pictures of it.

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6256]