Black mongoose (Galerella nigrata) home range and social behaviour affected by abundant food at an antelope carcass

The rupicolous black mongoose (Galerella nigrata) is endemic to southwestern Africa. Because virtually nothing is known about its behavioural ecology we radio-tracked an adult male that we accidentally captured in the foothills of the Erongo Mountains of Namibia from May to July 2003. During our study a greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) died within the home range of the mongoose and up to seven mongooses fed on adult, larval, and pupal sarcophagid flies attracted to the rotting antelope. Intra-specific aggression near the carcass probably produced a dominance hierarchy that resulted in the mongooses feeding solitarily at the kudu. The post-kudu home range area of the tagged mongoose shrank by 66% and its centre of activity shifted to the carcass. The feeding and ranging behaviours of G. nigrata appear to be similar to other species of Galerella.