Honey Badger Foraging — Kalahari South Africa
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park — the animal rated most fearless in the Guinness Book of Records, capable of driving lions from kills, surviving cobra and mamba bites, and dismantling beehives for honey — is most reliably encountered on night drives from the park's Twee Rivieren camp in the dry season. The honey badger's combination of its low-slung, bear-like gait, the silver-topped black body, and the fearless investigation of vehicles (some individuals investigate tyres and exhaust pipes with complete indifference to the engine) creates one of the Kalahari's most entertaining nocturnal encounters. The honey badger's mutualistic relationship with the greater honeyguide bird (which leads badgers to beehives in exchange for wax left after the honey badger's raid) is occasionally directly observable in the Kalahari's open thorn-bush landscape, creating one of African ecology's most celebrated inter-species partnerships.
About this spectacle
Under the vast Kalahari sky, night drives from Twee Rivieren camp offer a rare chance to encounter the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) — Guinness World Records' most fearless animal — going about its nocturnal business. Caught in the spotlight, the badger's distinctive silver-crowned back and low, rolling bear-like gait are immediately recognisable as it moves purposefully through open thorn-bush scrub. Some individuals approach vehicles with total indifference, sniffing tyres and exhaust pipes while passengers watch in delighted disbelief. The Kalahari's open landscape also makes it one of the rare places where the honey badger's celebrated partnership with the greater honeyguide bird can occasionally be witnessed — the bird leading the badger to a beehive, both species benefiting from the raid. Between investigating termite mounds, digging for prey with powerful claws, and confronting anything that crosses its path with complete disdain, the honey badger offers a uniquely entertaining, intimate wildlife encounter that rewards patience and a good spotlight.
When to go
Jan — Dec, peak Jun — Sep
Getting there
Nearest airport: UPL. Nearest city: Upington.
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