It may look cute and cuddly with its pretty black and white stripes, but the latest arrival at Durban's Mitchell Park Zoo is one very tough customer.
Weighing in at just 300g, it is one of the smallest carnivores on the continent, but is a ferocious predator which subdues and kills its prey by gripping the nape of the neck with its sharp teeth. Then it clamps and presses its hind feet down repeatedly to break the victim's back.
The African striped weasel is also a record holder when it comes to sexual prowess - with copulation sessions lasting anywhere between 60 to 80 minutes. Unlike human mothers, who carry their children for nine months, weasel mums pop out their young after gestation of just 34 days.
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Nevertheless, the overall numbers of these creatures has been dropping steadily in KwaZulu-Natal, and Mitchell Park Zoo is about to become involved in a captive-breeding project to protect the future of this increasingly rare animal.
| 'The African striped weasel is also a record holder when it comes to sexual prowess' |
North Coast artist Heather Sclater has also produced a striped weasel painting which is to be auctioned to raise funds for the breeding project at Mitchell Park.
Zoo curator Karl Westphal recently managed to secure a two-year-old captive-bred female weasel which arrived in Durban in the past week.
He has put the word out for a mate for her, and is hoping for success soon.
Mammal expert Peter Taylor of the Durban Natural Science Museum lists several threats to the survival of the striped weasel, including the muti trade and the destruction of grassland areas for farming and timber plantations.
In traditional medicine, the weasel's skin and other body parts are said to bring good luck to humans and to act as a love charm.
The Mitchell Park female has been named Nyengi, derived from its isiZulu name, Nyengelezi.
- This article was originally published on page 4 of Daily News on August 16, 2004
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