Fearless, vicious, and aggressive! Those three words sum up the honey badger to a T! A solitary omnivore that is prominently nocturnal, the honey badger is a 35-pound specialty animal with a bad attitude, and a perfect trophy when hunting in South Africa. Although the honey badger’s numbers are decreasing, it has a conservation status of “least concern” with the IUCN.
Honey badgers (Mellivora capensis) are also known as ratels. They inhabit mainly dry areas but also live in forests and grasslands. Honey badgers are native to many regions in Africa and Asia, and western India. In South Africa, they occur throughout the country, except in the north-west coastal areas. Honey badger hunting in South Africa usually happens at night, using bait.
They are known as fearless, opportunistic hunters, and they are omnivores whose diet varies according to which type of food is in abundance at the time. Honey badgers are known to feast on insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, roots, bulbs, berries, and fruits. They also have a particular fondness for honey and honeybee larvae.
Although mainly seen as a nocturnal hunter, the honey badger will hunt in the day, together with a bird called a honeyguide. These honeyguides are known as indicator or honey birds and guide the honey badger to bee hives. The honey badger then breaks open the hive, taking their fill and leaving the nest for the honeyguide.
It is difficult to find a more irritable or confrontational animal than a honey badger. Their predators include lions, leopards, hyenas, and man. Unfortunately for these predators, the honey badger does not back down but will retaliate and attack even lions and buffalos when it is in danger! Now that’s an animal with confidence!
Speaking of confidence, the honey badger is a confident and skilled hunter. This little creature may be short in stature, but makes up for it with sheer guts, aggression, and heart. It has no reservations about chasing young lions from their kills and has attacked waterbuck, wildebeest, and even buffalo! It is no wonder the Guinness Book of Records has named them the “World’s Most Fearless Creature” and a great trophy to add to your game hunting displays.
Honey badgers only meet up to mate, which happens every 14-24 months. Females (sows) have a gestation period of 181 days and give birth to one to two cubs. The male (boar) plays no role in rearing the young, who stay with the female until weaned at around 14 months.
