Why you shouldn’t mess with a Honey Badger
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities.The skin is also tough enough to resist several machete blows. The mammals are legendary for their fearlessness, and their willingness, if threatened, to take on animals far larger than themselves. So trust and believe – they will attack a human.
The honey badger, also known as the ratel, is the only species in the mustelid subfamily Mellivorinae and its only genus Mellivora. It is native to Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species; instead, it bears more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN owing to its extensive range and general environmental adaptations.The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is found in part of sub-Saharan Africa, through the Middle East to southern Russia and eastwards as far as India and Nepal.
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is found in part of sub-Saharan Africa (including Zimbabwe), through the Middle East to southern Russia and eastwards as far as India and Nepal.
Type:
Mammal
Order:
Carnivora
Habitat:
Honey Badgers utilise a wide range of habitats, from semi-desert to rainforest. Usually, they live alone in self-dug holes. They are skilled diggers, able to dig tunnels into hard ground in 10 minutes.
Behaviour:
Honey badgers are mostly solitary. The young will stay with their mother until they are approximately 14 months old. They may congregate in areas where food is in abundance.
Their diet consists of mostly small mammals, birds and reptiles and of course honey and bee larvae.
Size:
Male adults measure 23 to 28 cm shoulder height and 55–77 cm in body length, with the tail adding another 12–30 cm.
Weight:
Males weigh 9 to 16kgs while females weigh 5 to 10kgs
Intelligence:
Honey badgers are intelligent animals and are one of a few species known to be capable of using tools.
Defence:
They have been known to savagely and fearlessly attack almost any kind of animal when escape is impossible, reportedly even repelling much larger predators such as lions. Bee stings, porcupine quills, and animal bites rarely penetrate their skin. They are virtually tireless in combat and can wear out much larger animals in physical confrontations.
Diet:
The honey badger has the least specialised diet of the weasel family. Honey badgers favour bee honey, and will often search for beehives to get it, which earns them their name. However, there is no evidence that they are led to honey by honeyguides birds as popularly known. They are also carnivorous and will eat insects, frogs, tortoises, rodents. They are known to eat every last piece of their prey including hair, feathers, flesh and bones.
Relationship
They attack humans only when provoked. In India, however, they are known to dig up dead bodies. They are often frustrating to humans because of how they attack and feed on rared poultry.
Conservation Status:
Although unprotected on the International Red Data list, honey badgers are listed as near threatened in South Africa and Morocco, and Endangered in Saudi Arabia. Honey badgers are protected in India.
Threats:
Persecuted by beekeepers, poultry and sheep farmers, often using gin traps.
Indirectly persecuted by poison and traps set for jackals and caracals, again by farmers. Trade for traditional medicine and bushmeat.
