Golf Tournament Interrupted to Let Pack of Mongooses Play Through

The Nedbank Golf Challenge, part of the European Golf Tour, is underway at the Sun City Resort near Rustenburg, South Africa. Yes, we know South Africa is not in Europe, but the European Tour has events everywhere. While play was underway, a pack of about 20 or so mongooses ran across the green but did not disturb any golf balls.

The Sun City Resort is near South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park, so the mongooses probably strayed from there, like elk or bison wandering onto a golf course by Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. There is a practical aspect to having mongooses around. South Africa is home to at least nine poisonous snakes, and they are famous for being able to kill such snakes.