Dwarf mongoose plays dead around yellow-billed hornbill bird in a hilarious video; Watch

A comic video of a dwarf mongoose acting dead around an unsuspecting yellow-billed hornbill bird has startled the internet. The clip shared on Instagram was filmed in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa, wherein, a mongoose approaches the hornbill and in a funny act turns around and faints, appearing to fake its death.  

Unaffected by its efforts, the hornbill looks in other direction confused, as the mongoose calf plays the trick several times. Many creatures in the wild tend to fake their deaths upon spotting a predator or to hunt for prey. However, mongoose sometimes rolls on their backs and lie still in a friendly or playful gesture, although it’s far less common for them to interact with birds in this manner. The funny behaviour does not incite the southern yellow-billed bird which makes it clear, that it did not want to harm the species.

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On Instagram, users reacted with laughter and heart emoticons as they called the mongoose “cute” and a “wonderful actor”. Many thought that the creature had a sense of humour. While Mongoose can appear to be fragile and adorable, they can be defensive and cunning if a trespasser enters their territory. It could also imply a standoff with the enemy. However, the juvenile dwarf mongoose in the video seems to be having his share of fun as he attempts to capture the attention of the bird.  

Expert opinion on Mongoose's behaviour

An honorary research associate at the United Kingdom’s University of Bristol and founder of the Dwarf Mongoose Research Project, Julie Kern, reportedly said that this is not a case of the animal playing dead, rather attempting to play with the hornbill. However, Lynda Sharpe, a behavioural ecologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa had a different opinion, as she told a leading wildlife channel that the mongoose would lie stiff on the ground with other mongoose but never with the bird like that. 

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