Honey Badgers: Fearless and Fierce by Nature

Unless you were completely disconnected from the internet in 2011, chances are you’ve encountered the honey badger (Mellivora capensis). That year, the viral YouTube video below, now boasting over 100 million views — a remarkable feat for non-musical content — popularized the catchphrase, "honey badger don’t care," which became a cultural phenomenon. [Note: The video contains language that may not be suitable for younger or sensitive audiences.] Featuring National Geographic clips of honey badgers devouring snakes with razor-sharp teeth, sprinting backward, and pursuing jackals, all narrated with humorous and explicit commentary, the video is so captivating that even Taylor Swift has confessed to memorizing it word for word.

While the honey badger has cemented its place in internet lore thanks to this three-minute comedic masterpiece, its fame has led to misconceptions about this elusive, solitary creature. In reality, honey badgers remain poorly understood due to the immense challenges researchers face when studying them.

Honey Badgers Are Nighttime Hunters

"The rise of honey badgers to fame in America is truly remarkable," remarked Derek van der Merwe from the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa during a 2019 interview. "We receive countless calls from Americans eager to film them, inspired by the viral YouTube video. Many don’t realize the challenges of filming honey badgers, as they are highly intelligent, primarily nocturnal foragers, and roam vast territories — some spanning up to 310 square miles [802 square kilometers]."

Honey badgers, also known as ratels in parts of Africa (a term possibly originating from raat, the Dutch word for honeycomb), are tenacious mammals more closely related to weasels than to European badgers, despite their similar appearance. They sport a distinctive white streak running down their backs, resembling an unusual haircut. While their name suggests a love for honey, their diet is far more diverse, though their raids on beehives often bring them into conflict with humans. As omnivores, honey badgers consume a wide variety of foods, showing no preference for plants or animals, dead or alive, or even prey much larger than themselves. They fearlessly defend their meals, even against formidable predators like lions. Snakes account for approximately a quarter of their diet, highlighting their adaptability and fearless nature.

Honey badgers are equally adaptable in their choice of habitat, thriving in environments ranging from forests to deserts. However, they predominantly inhabit arid regions of Africa, Southwest Asia, and India. Males claim expansive territories of up to 190 square miles (500 square kilometers), marking their domain with a pungent scent and patrolling it diligently. Females, on the other hand, occupy smaller areas of up to 60 square miles (150 square kilometers) and use shared latrines to leave scent signals for males during ovulation, signaling their readiness to mate.

Honey badgers are solitary by nature, showing little interest in others of their kind except during mating. Mothers are the exception, as they care for their young until they are independent. Otherwise, these creatures prefer to roam and forage alone, embodying their reputation as fearless and self-reliant animals.

The Honey Badger: Nature's Most Fearless Animal

Honey badgers exhibit remarkable intelligence, a necessity for their survival. In the wild, they prey on over 60 different species, from venomous cobras to bee larvae, using their powerful claws. To maintain such a diverse diet, honey badgers must possess exceptional problem-solving abilities and adaptability. They are known to dig, climb, and maneuver through tight spaces with their flexible bodies, often encountering and solving new challenges. Remarkably, they have even been observed using tools, a behavior typically associated with highly intelligent animals like primates.

Renowned for their relentless aggression and fearlessness, honey badgers have earned the title of "World's Most Fearless Creature" by Guinness World Records. This reputation has led some tenacious athletes to adopt the "honey badger" as a nickname. Despite their reputation for being nearly indestructible, honey badgers are relatively small, standing about 11 inches (28 centimeters) tall at the shoulder, and are not particularly fast. This makes them vulnerable to attacks from larger predators. However, their tough skin, powerful legs, and 1.5-inch (4-centimeter) claws, capable of cracking tortoise shells, make them formidable opponents. For honey badgers, the best defense is often a fierce offense.

"The honey badger's skin is remarkably loose, allowing it to twist almost entirely within it," explained van der Merwe. "If a predator bites its back, the honey badger can swiftly turn and retaliate with its sharp teeth. Their front feet are equipped with long claws and strong legs, ideal for digging and combat. Inexperienced predators, such as young leopards, lions, or hyenas, might attempt an attack once, but they rarely try again after experiencing the honey badger's fierce defense."

Honey Badgers Can Withstand Snake Venom

Honey badgers frequently confront venomous snakes, but contrary to popular belief, they are not born immune to venom. As members of the weasel family, honey badgers consume many venomous creatures, but their immunity develops gradually. The process remains poorly understood, but mother honey badgers spend 14-18 months raising their young, gradually introducing them to venomous prey. They start with less dangerous scorpions and progress to more lethal creatures like cobras and puff adders, building the pup's tolerance over time.

Researchers have investigated the honey badger's remarkable tolerance to snake venom, as it could provide insights for developing better antivenoms for humans. Over generations, honey badgers and their ancestors developed a molecular resistance to venom. For example, a neurotoxin in cobra venom that would paralyze respiratory muscles in humans has no effect on honey badgers due to a mutation in their receptors, rendering the toxin ineffective.

Another misconception about honey badgers is that they possess defensive weapons like porcupine quills or skunk-like sprays. While honey badgers do store a foul-smelling substance in their anal pouch, they rarely use it as a weapon. It is only released in life-threatening situations, unlike skunks, which actively spray their attackers.

"Frequently, when we come across deceased honey badgers, they’ve succumbed to bee stings and released this foul-smelling substance — it’s absolutely revolting," said van der Merwe. "You’d never want it on you because the stench is nearly impossible to remove."

In fact, the secretion from their anal glands can be detected by a human nose from as far as 130 feet (40 meters) away. Some researchers believe the substance may have a soothing effect on bees, though this remains speculative.

Honey Badgers Are Obsessed with Beehives

Despite the risks, honey badgers are irresistibly drawn to beehives. While they can withstand numerous bee stings, raiding hives is a perilous activity for several reasons. Bees pose a threat, but so do humans. Initially, honey badgers in South Africa were often found in bee nests, seemingly after honey, which led to their name. However, it turns out their true target is the bee brood — the protein-rich larvae found within the honeycomb.

"In South Africa, honey badgers were classified as near threatened in the early 2000s," explained van der Merwe. "Beekeepers were killing them due to the significant damage they caused to the industry, destroying hives to access the larvae. Not only do they ruin the hive, but beekeepers also lose honey and entire bee colonies, resulting in substantial financial losses. Some badgers became so adept at raiding hives that they were relentlessly hunted for it."

Over the last 20 years, the dynamic between honey badgers and humans has improved significantly:

"In South Africa, we implemented solutions like elevating hives 1.1 meters [3.6 feet] off the ground, securing them together, or attaching them to tires. These measures prevent honey badgers from rolling the hives, their usual method of access," explained van der Merwe. "In the early 2000s, half of the surveyed beekeepers admitted to killing honey badgers due to the financial losses they caused. Since introducing these protective methods, beekeepers have stopped targeting them, leading to a noticeable increase in honey badger populations and their range in certain areas. As a result, their conservation status has been downgraded to least concern."

This is excellent news, as honey badgers, despite their aggressive nature, play a vital role in their ecosystems. Unlike faster predators, honey badgers dig rodents out of burrows, providing food for birds of prey and jackals. These animals often trail honey badgers, hoping to scavenge their prey or leftovers like bee larvae.

But it’s fine — the honey badger doesn’t care.