Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-29
GOOSE AND SNAKE.
A Lively Account OF a Lively Fight
Between a Mongo0se and Cobra
ID

London Standard.
At the present time, when the pro-
posed introduction of the mongoose
into Australia is under discussion, per-
haps the following extract from the
Leisure Hour October, 1879, describ-
ing combat between one of those ami
mails and a cobra, May prove interest
ing TO some of your readers. A re-
port of the fight, is stated, was sent t.
the Madras newspapers, signed by sew
eral indian officers who were eye wit
nesses, and dated Trichinopoly, July
Is, 1868. 1t is as follows: tine mon
goose approached the cobra with eau
ton, but devoid of any appearance of
fear. The cobra, with head erect and
body vibrating, watched his opponent
with evident signs of being aware of
how deadly an enemy he had to cen
tend with. The mongoose was soon
within easy striking distance of the
snake, who, suddenly throwing back
his head, struck at the mongoose with
tremendous force. The mongoose,
quick as thought, sprang back out of
reach, uttering at the same time saw
age growls. Again the hooded reptile
rose on the defensive, and the mon.
goose, nothing daunted by the distended
Jaws and glaring eyes of his antagonist,
approached so near to the snake that
he was forced back, not relishing such
close proximity, to draw his head back
considerably; this lesssned his distance
from the ground. The mongoose, at
once Selling the advantageous oppor-
tunity, sprang at the cobra's head, and
appeared to inf1ict as well as receive q
wound. Again the combatants put
themselves in position to renew the
encounter; again the snake struck at
his willy opponent and again the latter's
agility saved him. 1t would be
tedious to recount in further de-
tail the particulars of about a
dozen successive rounds at the end
of which time neither eombatani
seemed to suffer more than the other
The fight had lasted some three quarters
of an hour, and both combatants seem.
ed now to nerve themselves for the
final encounter. The cobra, changing
his position of defence for that of attack
advanced, and seemed determined now
'to do or die Slowly on his watchfu
enemy the cobra advanced, with equa
| courage the mongoose waited the ad-
vance of his still unvanquished foe
The cobra had now approached &C
close that the mongoose (who, owing
to want of space behind, Was unable t.
spring out of reach by jumping back
ward, as it had done IN previous en-
counters) nimbly bounded straight IL
in the air. The cobra missed his Oh
ject, and struck the ground under him
Immediately On the mongoose alight.
ing, the cobra, quick as thought, struck
again, and, to all appearance, fixed bis
fangs in the head of the mongoose
The mongoose, as the cobra was with.
drawing his head after he had inflicted
the bite, instantly retiliated by fixing
his teeth in the head of the cobra. This
seemed to convince the cobra that he
was no match for his watchful antagon
ist; and now, no longer exhibiting s
head erect and defiant eye, he unfold.
ed his coils and ANONYMOUSLY skunk
away. Instantly the mongoose was on
his retreating foe, and burying his
teeth in his brain, ended the contest
The mongoose now set to work to de-
YOUR his victim, and in a few minutes
had eaten the head and two or three
inches ofthe body, including the venom
so dreaded by all. We should have
mentioned before that previous to this
encounter the snake had struck a fowl,
which died within half an hour of the
infection of the bite, showing beyond
doubt its capabiity of inficting deadly
wound. After the mongoose had salts
fed his appetite, we proceeded to ex-
anime with a pocket lens the wounds
that he had received from the cobra,
and on washing away the b cod from
one of these places the lens disclosed
the broken fang of the cobra deeply
imbedded in the head of the mongoose.
We have had the mongoose confined
ever since (uow four days ago). and it
is now as healthy and lively as ever"
This anecdote lends strong confirmation
to tie theory that the mongoose is
uninjured by the venom of poisonous
snakes.