Many people wish that they could have picked their own parents. But with this recent study, you may very well wish you were born a mongoose. Why? Because mongooses (or how I like to call them mongeese), get to just that, they pick their own parent.
The banded mongoose live in large family groups. Many of the females, as many as ten, breed and birth their young around the same time. The pups, after they are born, live in a communal den. As they start to venture out, after about a month, the pup “begins to associate exclusively with one particular adult - not necessarily a parent - that provides nourishment and protection.”
After the pup claims their parent or "escort", they become very possessive and won’t let any other pup within a yard of their caregiver. But the relationship is short lived. After about three months, the pups begin to fend for themselves, and don’t need their “escort” anymore. Hope they keep in touch with their maternal and adopted parents, especially around the holidays.
