What is a brave animal

Top 5 Bravest Animals in the World (A-Z List)

When it comes to the bravest animals in the world, most of us assume them to be lions. After all, they’re the king of the wild! 

But, did you know that apart from lions, there are several fearless animals that don’t back down in a fight? 

Animals like honey badgers, tigers, German shepherds, cape buffaloes, hippopotamus, and elephants are some of the bravest animals in the world. 

Read on if you’re curious to learn more about these brave animals.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Bravest Animals In The World 

Honey Badgers

Scientific Name: Mellivora capensis
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Range: Africa and Asia

There is a reason why honey badgers are given the title of the “most fearless animal in the world” by the Guinness Book of Records. Honey badgers don’t back down from a fight despite their small size. In fact, there have been instances where these little mammals have fought off much larger animals, including leopards and lions!

One main characteristic that allows honey badgers to defend themselves is their strong and thick skin. 

A honey badger’s skin is around ¼ inches thick and is also impervious to sharp weapons such as arrows, spears, and machetes. Therefore, even a strong bite on a honey badger’s skin won’t cause much bleeding!

Additionally, honey badgers also have another advantage of having loose skin. This type of skin lets them squirm their body and escape from the predator’s mouth. 

Apart from the skin, honey badgers also have sharp teeth and claws. Their teeth are so powerful that they can break a tortoise’s shell! This allows them to attack their opponents with enough confidence. 

Honey badgers aren’t all about attacking, though. Sometimes, if they feel threatened, they defend themselves by releasing an off-putting odor to ward off the predators.

So, don’t judge a honey badger by its size, as it certainly won’t give up without a fight!

Related: Small Strong Animals

Tigers

Scientific Name: Panthera tigris
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Range: Asia

Tigers are often seen as the symbol of courage and strength in various ancient cultures, like the Chinese culture. 

Undoubtedly, a tiger’s bravery lies in its physical strength, sheer determination, and strategic planning. 

These predatory animals can exert a force of 10,000 pounds just with their paws while fighting with any animal. This power is usually strong enough to kill the opponent or cause severe damage to their body. 

Additionally, tigers also have the benefit of having longer back legs than hind legs. This gives them an edge over other animals as they can run faster and jump higher!

However, tigers aren’t just brave due to their physical strength. These felines have an extraordinarily determined and strong-willed nature.  

As a matter of fact, you’d even find idioms such as “eye of the tiger” that have come into existence due to a tiger’s fierce and courageous attitude.

Lastly, tigers are known to be strategic. If they don’t want to engage in a fight, they will easily camouflage themselves as a defense mechanism.

German Shepherds

Scientific Name: Canis lupus familiaris
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Range: Worldwide

Most dogs are brave animals. However, German Shepherds stand out from the rest due to their high intelligence and strong nature. 

Since time immemorial, these loyal animals have been used by humankind for purposes other than simply keeping them as house pets. 

For instance, during the early days, farmers used German Shepherds to protect the flocks from any predators. Presently, they are used by several police forces to track criminals and sniff out any suspicious objects too. 

Due to their muscular build and determined personality, German Shepherds are also used to rescue people during calamities, like floods!

In the wild, German Shepherds can fend for themselves for various reasons. 

First, these dogs have sharp, pointy canines that can tear into their opponent’s skin. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, a German Shepherd’s bite is one of the most severe among other breeds. 

Additionally, they are quick learners and can master many complex skills. Both physical and intellectual.

They’ve heightened senses, including an acute sense of smell that lets them sniff any danger from miles. This is one of the significant reasons why German Shepherds are used as guard dogs today. 

Therefore, a robust build, strong-willed attitude, and sharp senses allow the German Shepherd to be one of the bravest animals in the world.  

Read Also: Most Fearless Animals on the Planet

Cape Buffaloes

Scientific Name: Syncerus caffer
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Range: Africa

Cape buffaloes are one of the bravest and deadliest animals in the world. These buffaloes are native to Southern and Eastern Africa and are commonly referred to as the “Black Death.”

Whether a hunter or an apex predator, cape buffaloes don’t back down. These animals have a track record of killing the maximum number of hunters in Africa compared to other animals. 

Moreover, Cape buffaloes are also highly protective of their calves. If they feel like their calves are in grave danger, they will kill or injure the attacker by any means. 

The strength of a Cape Buffalo lies in its speed, body, and sharp teeth. Did you know that a Cape buffalo can charge at its opponent at 35 mph? This is enough to make any animal run for its life!

Apart from the speed, Cape buffaloes also use their huge curved horns to attack or defend themselves. They won’t hesitate to cut open their enemies if they feel threatened. 

Here’s a surprising fact regarding the bravery of Cape Buffaloes. These animals can even take down a lion in a one-on-one fight. 

Now, you can imagine how brave and powerful they must be to get into a fight with the king of the forest and even continue to win it!

Elephants

Scientific Name: Loxodonta
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Range: Africa and Asia

You simply cannot forget elephants when the topic is about the bravest animals in the world. After all, humans always made use of elephants during wars due to their courage and strength!

Even today, elephants continue to remain brave in the wild. These animals use their strong tusks to defeat their opponents. 

Also, most elephants weigh anywhere between 1,800 and 6,300 kg. Therefore, they won’t shy away from trampling and killing an animal that threatens them.

Apart from their physical strengths, elephants are also among the most intelligent animals. They’ve three times as many neurons as humans, allowing them to devise strategic methods to fend for themselves in the wild. 

Unlike most animals, elephants believe in maintaining relations and protecting their kind with all of their strength. 

For instance, if the male elephants sense any danger, they will circle the mothers and the calves to protect them. They will charge right back at the predators if there’s a need. 

Did you know that there have been various instances where elephants have even succeeded in killing apex predators like tigers and lions with ease? 

Such is the bravery and power of most elephants! 

Bottom Line 

Although many consider the lion the bravest animal, it is certainly not the only fearless one.

Some of the bravest animals worldwide include honey badgers, tigers, German Shepherds, Cape buffaloes, and elephants. Animals who won’t kneel in front of any living organism!

These creatures have proved their bravery in the wild by developing excellent survival instincts, attacking and defending techniques, and tactfulness. 

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, the article was interesting to read.

If you liked this post, here’s another popular read: Strongest Animal in The Jungle.

7 incredible stories of animal bravery

Animals

By Lucy Freeman

Could your pet save your life?

The bond between humans and animal can bring benefits far beyond the gift of company and endless cuddles. They improve our mental health¹, protect our physical security, and even alert us to medical problems.² The interplay between humans and animals is a constant source of wonder and the subject of a great deal of scientific research.  

From a parrot who acts as a burglar alarm to a rabbit who can detect diabetes, here are some astonishing tales of animal courage and compassion.

Article continues below

More on Nature

In 1917, a small stray mongrel puppy appeared in the training area of the 102nd infantry, near Yale, USA, where the Yankee Division was preparing for action in World War I.³  Christened Stubby by the soldiers because of his short tail,⁴ the puppy soon integrated himself into the ranks. His comrades taught him to “salute”, he learned bugle calls, and was allowed to join the soldiers on the front line.⁵

After being caught in a gas attack, he recognised the smell the next time it happened and was able to wake and warn the sleeping soldiers.  He also caught a German soldier in the trenches by biting and holding him until relief arrived, and was adept at finding wounded soldiers, too.  By the end of the war, Stubby had served in 17 battles, and was awarded lifetime membership of the American legion, as well as a gold medal for heroism commissioned by the Humane Education Society. ⁶  

The playful nature of dolphins is well documented. But what about their protective instincts?  In 2004, Rob Howes went swimming with his daughter and two of her friends, off the coast of North Island, New Zealand. There, they found themselves encircled by four bottlenose dolphins who repeatedly slapped their tails on the surface to prevent any of the group swimming away.

When Rob tried to move out of the cluster, he was herded back by two of the bigger dolphins, just before he spotted a three-metre-long great white shark heading straight for him.  The dolphins maintained their defensive circle for 40 minutes until the shark finally left, allowing the group to swim 100 metres back to shore.  Dolphins adopt this tactic to protect their young against shark attacks, and for some reason decided to extend their protection to include this group of humans. ⁷

In 2015, Darrick Thomson, from the Save Elephant Foundation⁸ in Chiang Mai, Thailand, rescued Kham La and Bai Teoy, a baby elephant and her mother. Baby Kham La was rehabilitated by Darrick and the pair developed a strong bond.⁹

A good example of their strong connection was shown one day when Darrick went for a swim. Baby elephant Kham was on the shore at the time, and mistook Darrik's innocent calls to her as a sign of distress. The elephant calf raced into the water and offered her trunk to the handler to hold, and then sheltered him with her body until she could show him that he was not at risk anymore.¹⁰

Therapy animals, from dogs to miniature ponies, are becoming a common sight in hospitals, hospices, and prisons.   Petting an animal releases endorphins¹¹ (feel-good neurotransmitters), which can have a positive impact in patients dealing with depressive disorders, whilst caring for animals helps develop empathy and nurturing skills.¹²

It’s also been found that incidents of restlessness, confusion and violent behaviour are reduced among people with dementia following the introduction of animal therapy programmes.¹³  In some UK prisons, therapy dogs¹⁴ are used, and inmates at HMP Foston Hall look after a loft of ex-racing pigeons.¹⁵ This gives the prisoners a distraction and a focus, helping them reintegrate into society afterwards.

Animals are very sensitive to change and will become aware of unusual incidents faster than humans, especially overnight.   House pets, like dogs, cats, and even parrots, regularly prove themselves to be excellent smoke and burglar detectors.  Tink, a cat from Shrewsbury, alerted her owner to the danger posed by a fire in a nearby house by jumping on her to wake her, but was then overcome by smoke and needed oxygen.¹⁶

Eric, a parrot in Brisbane, Australia, repeatedly yelled out his owner’s name to wake him and alert him to a fire in his home.¹⁷ Meanwhile, in Monmouth, South Wales, a serial burglar was caught, after an orange winged Amazon parrot, Charlie, spotted the intruder and raised the alarm.¹⁸

Salty and Roselle were both guide dogs working in the World Trade Center when the September 11th attacks struck in 2001.  Salty would not leave his owner until he had led him to safety, even when a co-worker tried to assist.   Roselle helped her owner to the stairwell, through the smoke, noise and debris, and led him down 1,463 steps out of the tower, along with 30 other people.  The descent took over an hour and just after they left, the tower collapsed.  Roselle then led her owner to the nearby subway station, and home.¹⁹ She even became a minor celebrity, appearing on Larry King Live, and the CBS Morning Show. 

Salty and Roselle were awarded a joint Dickin Medal, the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for animals, "For remaining loyally at the side of their blind owners, courageously leading them down more than 70 floors of the World Trade Center and to a place of safety following the terrorist attack on New York on September 11, 2001”.²⁰

7. Doctor Bunny

Medical Detection Dogs are trained to sniff out odours caused by diseases. Research in 2014 showed their sensitive snouts could detect traces as tiny as one part per trillion, the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.²¹  

Domestic animals can also pick up changes in the behaviour of their owners, such as Dory, a 9.5 kg house rabbit from Cambridgeshire.  In 2004, she noticed that her owner, Simon Steggall, was slipping into a diabetic coma and leapt onto his chest where she began tapping him.  Simon’s wife, Victoria, had thought that he was simply asleep but Dory’s odd behaviour made her realise something was wrong. When she was unable to rouse her husband herself, she phoned for paramedics.²²

There is something moving about these demonstrations of awareness and concern between humans and the animal kingdom.  While a pet alerting its owner about a perceived danger could be seen as an act of self-preservation, a wild animal's instinct to save and protect humans is harder to explain; another layer of complexity in our symbiotic relationship with the animal kingdom.

Featured image © fotografixx

1. Pets and mental health, 2. The Amazing Abilities of Pets, 3. The Exploits of Sergeant Stubby, 4. A Dog's Tail, 5. Stubby on the Front Line, 6. A Decorated War Hero, 7. Bottlenose Dolphins Save Swimmers from Shark, 8. Save Elephant Foundation, 9. The Bond Between Darrick and Kham La, 10. Kham Lha rescues Darrick, 11. Endorphin Release, 12. Animals and our Health, 13. Animal Therapy for Dementia Patients, 14. Therapy Dogs in Prison, 15. Therapy Pigeons, 16. Tink the Feline Fire Alarm, 17. Eric the life-saving Parrot, 18. The parrot who put a serial burglar behind bars, 19. Dog Heroes of Sept 11th, 20. The Dickin Medal, 21.  Detection Dogs, 22. Thumper

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Honey badger. Description, photo and video. Habitat and lifestyle of honey badgers

The honey badger is an amazing animal that loves to eat honey. But don't let his name fool you. In fact, this is a ferocious predator that has received the title of "the most fearless animal in the world." He does not give in even to the most formidable predators of Africa - cobras and even lions. What is the secret of his strength? How does he fight back against the most aggressive and powerful animals in the world? We will answer these and some other questions in this article.

Content

• 1 Scientific classification
• 2 varieties
• 3 origin
• 4 distribution range
  • 4.1 Geographical distribution
  • 4.2 Hailing
• 5 Characteristic features
  • 5. 1 Owner 5.3 Dimensions
• 6 Diet
• 7 Lifestyle
  • 7.1 Lair
  • 7.2 Behavior and disposition
• 8 Reproduction
• 9 Human interactions
• 10 Conservation status
• 11 Did you know?

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Type: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia (mammals)
• Order: Carnivora (predatory)
• Family: Mustelidae (mustels)
• Genus: Mellivora (honey badgers)
• Species: Mellivora capensis (honey badger)

The genus is monotypic. The generic name "Mellivora" comes from the Latin word "mel" meaning "honey" and "voro" meaning "to devour". The specific epithet "capensis" refers to the Cape of Good Hope, where Schreber in 1776 discovered the first specimen.

Other names: honey badger, bald badger, ratel. The common name "honey badger" comes from the animal's predilection for honey and wild bee larvae. When aggressive, it emits a rattling grunt, which is why the Dutch settlers in South Africa gave it the name "ratel". The Sindhi name for the honey badger is gorpat, which means gravedigger.

Varieties

In total, 16 subspecies of honey are described, however, only 12 subspecies differing in size and color were recognized:

• Ethiopian Ratel (Mellivora Capensinica) - Ethiopia;
• Turkmen ratel (Mellivora capensis buechneri) – Turkmenistan;
• South African ratel (Mellivora capensis capensis) - South and South West Africa;
• Chadian ratel (Mellivora capensis concisa) - Lake Chad, Sahel, Sudan;
• black ratel (Mellivora capensis cottoni) - Ghana, Congo;
• Nepalese Ratel (Mellivora capensis inaurita) – Nepal;
• Indian warrior (Mellivora capensis indica) – from India to Turkmenistan;
• white-backed ratel (Mellivora capensis leuconota) - West Africa, Morocco, Congo;
• Kenyan ratel (Mellivora capensis maxwelli) – Kenya;
• Arab ratel (Mellivora capensis pumilio) - South Arabia, Yemen;
• speckled ratel (Mellivora capensis signata) - Sierra Leone;
• Persian ratel (Mellivora capensis wilsoni) - Iran, Iraq.

Origin

Honey badgers have probably lived in Africa since the late Miocene ( 12 million years ago ). The oldest fossils, dating back about 10 million years, are found in Ngorora, Kenya. Most of the fossil remains date from the Pleistocene era.

Photo: Mauricio Anton

Milk badger teeth and grison permanent teeth are morphologically similar. They may have had a common ancestor who once inhabited Asia. During the Middle Miocene, the ratels moved from India through Arabia to Africa just before the opening of the fault in the Red Sea.

Distribution range

Geographic distribution

Most subspecies live on the African continent . Their range extends from the Cape of Good Hope in the south, in the north to Sudan, in the east to Ethiopia and Somalia, in the west to Niger and Morocco. Some varieties are also found outside the black continent: in Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as from Turkmenistan and southwestern Kazakhstan to India and Nepal.

Photo: Wikipedia

In the Indian subcontinent, they are absent from the coast of Malabar, Bengal and Ceylon. In Africa, they are absent in the central part of the Sahara desert, on the Mediterranean coast and in the Nile Valley (Egypt).

• Biogeographic regions: Palaearctic, Ethiopian

Habitat

Honey badgers are found in a variety of habitats, including dense forests; subtropical dry evergreen forests; tropical thorn forests; open coastal forests; steppes; savannah; dry swamps; semi-deserts; on rocky hills and meadows. They are able to tolerate humid climates with rainfall >2000 mm per year and arid conditions with rainfall <100 mm per year. However, the sultry deserts are not suitable for them to live.

Photo: The Indian Express

Honey badgers are also known to be found at altitudes up to 2600 meters above sea level in the Grand Atlas Mountains (Morocco) and up to 4000 meters above sea level in the Abyssinian Highlands.

• Habitat: temperate, tropical
• Terrestrial biomes: semi-desert, savannah, grasslands, forest, scrub, mountains, coastal

Features

Appearance

Honey badgers have a long and relatively wide body. Its head is rather small; from above it is flattened and shaped like a badger's head. The skull is massive, with a broad base. The neck and shoulders are muscular. The tail is short, cylindrical and bushy.

Body covered with straight bristly hairs. The hair on the back of the thighs is long and can form tufts. The undercoat is usually sparse, 18-27 mm long. The inhabitants of the Himalayan mountains in winter have a thick undercoat with a hair length of about 40 mm.

Photo: Mpala Live!

The animal has small and deep-set eyes. Far-sighted vision , eyes reflect light at night. Ears inconspicuous; their cavities are surrounded above and behind by a thickening of the skin, which forms a hard ridge. Probably, this natural adaptation is designed to protect against damage during battles with the enemy.

Another element of protection is tough, thick and flabby skin, which serves as a shield against the bites of other predators and allows honey badgers to deftly turn over to retaliate with an attacker. Skin is impervious to bee stings, snake fangs and dog teeth. Only the lower part of the body has thin skin.

The limbs are short but strong. Each foot has five toes with sharp claws. The front legs are shorter and wider than the hind legs; the average length of the nails is about 32 mm. When honey badgers dig, the front legs fit snugly together and form a wide and powerful shovel. The claws on the hind limbs are very short (about 15 mm) and do not reach ground level.

Paint

Photo: www.sanbi.org

The coat is black with a coarse mantle extending from the crown of the head to the base of the tail. The color of the mantle can be white, greyish, or gray-brown with black hairs thinly scattered down the middle of the back. The tail has a gray or white tip.

As honey badgers age, the coat darkens and more black hairs appear on the back. But the head does not darken with age.

Average width of dorsal stripe in adults: 100 mm on head between ears; 90 mm on the neck; 150 mm at the shoulders; 220 mm in the middle of the back; 234 mm on the back. Honey badgers in African and Arabian countries have a pure white stripe about 25 mm wide separating the gray back from the black abdomen. The edge is white in front, but becomes more gray towards the tail. And the subspecies Mellivora capensis cottoni does not have a mark on the back at all.

Dimensions

This is the largest member of the mustelid family in Africa. Adults on average have a shoulder height of 23-28 cm and a body length of 55-77 cm (excluding tail). The tail grows up to 12-30 cm. Males weigh 9-16 kg, and females - 5-10 kg. Females are smaller than males in size and weight. African subspecies are also superior to their Asian counterparts.

Diet

Like the wolverine, the honey badger is not particularly picky about food. This distinguishes him from other mustelids. The name was not given to him by chance - he loves honey and the larvae of honey bees (hymenoptera insects), so he spends most of his time looking for a hive.

Photo: Royal African Safaris

Overall, honey badgers are omnivores and feed on insects, spiders, amphibians, rodents, reptiles, scorpions, birds and mammals, as well as roots, bulbs, berries and fruits. Sometimes they eat eggs. The ratel can easily kill a large and dangerous snake, such as a cobra and even a black mamba.

Surplus food is usually hidden in the den. Honey badgers living near people are often accused of ruining poultry houses and apiaries. They love to feast on ostrich chicks, striders, meerkats, as well as domestic sheep and goats. In northern India, honey badgers have historically been accused of digging up dead bodies and eating carrion. Honey badgers sometimes raid tourist tents and campsite dumpsters.

Honey badgers - good swimmers . Under water, they hunt turtles and amphibians. Fish are often caught with claws at the edge of streams.

Female honey badgers forage over a relatively small area, walking about 10 km a day. They zigzag over short distances from bush to bush, digging an average of 10 holes/km. Males forage over long distances, covering about 27 km per day and digging only about 1.3 holes/km.

Lifestyle

Mostly nocturnal activity, although there may be diurnal activity in undeveloped areas. Honey badgers live alone, in pairs, and sometimes gather in family groups of up to 10 individuals.

Due to their stocky shape, short legs with sharp and long claws, honey badgers cannot run fast. Their trot or gallop is comparable to the clumsy run of a bear. Usually the honey badger has a slow, rather bow-legged gait .

Lair

Honey badgers take shelter in self-dug holes, thick bushes, caves, fallen bamboo, hollow trees, old ruins or rock shelters. Although some species prefer ready-made burrows and choose abandoned termite mounds, dens of porcupines, yellow mongooses, aardvarks or big-eared foxes for shelter.

With strong, mole-like claws, the honey badger can dig an entire tunnel in hard soil in 10 minutes. A burrow usually consists of a single tunnel 1-3 meters long with a den at the end.

Behavior and disposition

Photo: Lion Mountain TV

By nature, the honey badger is close to the wolverine and the badger - it shows perseverance and endurance, but also extreme cruelty. It can attack almost any animal. The ratel is so brave that he attacks horses, cattle and even African buffalo. During the fight, he is fearless and furious; therefore, not many large predators are brave enough to hunt it.

Its bite is fierce and tenacious. One honey badger fought a 3.5 meter python for about 15 minutes, eventually killing and eating it, while another fought for over 6 hours! They are less likely to show aggression towards their relatives, but at an unexpected meeting they continuously emit a wide range of grunts, hisses, squeaks and whines, rolling on the sand, sniffing each other and marking with a smell.

Reproduction

Mating occurs throughout the year. The gestation period lasts approximately 5-6 months. One or two cubs are born in the litter. They are born blind and hairless except for a few hairs on their muzzle. At the age of two days, the honey badger weighs about 250 grams, the length of the head and body is 20 cm, the length of the tail is 3.8 cm.

Eyes open at one month of age. Teeth begin to erupt on the 36th day and are fully formed after 3-3.5 months. At the same time, the fur of the cubs acquires an adult color with a clearly defined white-gray dividing line.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

During the first weeks, the calf makes squeaky and low guttural sounds, usually while feeding. The vocalization changes to a deep, drawn-out, ominous growl at 10 weeks of age. Attempts to walk progress from swimming using all four legs at 2-3 weeks of age, to moving forward with the front legs at 5 weeks of age, and finally to a canter at 8 weeks of age.

• Mating system: polygynous
• Breeding interval: once every 14-24 months
• Breeding season: all year round
• Number of offspring: 1-2 cubs
• Weaning: 2-3 months
• Age of sexual or reproductive maturity: 1-1.5 years (females), 2-3 years (males)

Interactions with humans

Honey badgers often prey on poultry and due to their stubbornness and aggressiveness it is impossible to prevent such situations. A strong chicken coop will not help either. This predatory animal is capable of destroying even thick wooden boards.

Photo: AZ Animals

A big dog won't help either, because the warrior has thick skin and a strong body, so killing him is a real problem. Thick skin can even withstand a blow from a machete; so the most effective way to kill a honey badger is to headbutt it.

Conservation status

Honey badgers are rare throughout their range. Persecution by beekeepers and livestock breeders and susceptibility to disease in cats and dogs are reasons for the decline in their populations. In South Africa, non-selective trapping has resulted in the honey badger being placed on the Red List of Vulnerable Species.

Did you know?

1. Like mongooses and hyenas, honey badgers have an anal sac that secretes mucus with a suffocating odor. It is likely that this mucus calms the bees during the extraction of honey. As a means of defense, the ratel also often "shoots" unpleasant mucus towards the aggressor.
2. In captivity, honey badgers are easily tamed and become funny pets.
3. On several occasions, scientists have observed honey badgers making and using tools like a chimpanzee. This indicates a high level of intelligence of these animals.
4. Cheetah cubs and adult honey badgers have a similar coat color on top, so most predators leave cheetah kittens alone, mistaking them for an aggressive honey badger.
5. The honey badger is resistant to the venom of many snakes. After being bitten by a noisy viper, the animal suffers from severe pain, but after about 5 hours, the state of health improves.
6. In Kenya, the honey badger is the main vector of rabies.
7. Adults consumed an average of 0.9-1.3 kg of food per day.
8. The honey badger is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as "the most fearless animal in the world. "
9. The indigenous people of Somalia firmly believe that when a honey badger bites a person, the latter loses his fertility.
10. It's hard to say how long honey badgers live. Based on observations in captivity, it has been estimated that they can live to 26 years , but nothing is known about their lifespan in the wild.

A scumbag of the animal world lives in Kazakhstan

Which animal is the bravest in the world? Lion, tiger, crocodile, or maybe an elephant? Nothing happened! The most fearless animal on Earth is… the honey badger.

The honey badger can be called a scumbag of the animal world. Only he is able to fight with six lions, eat a king cobra for breakfast or attack a swarm of bees.

This animal is distributed in Africa, where it is found almost everywhere. In Asia, its habitat range extends from the Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia and reaches the southern part of the Mangistau region. The honey badger is found in the south and southwest of the Ustyurt plateau and in the Karynzharyk depression. There is an assumption that there are no more than two or three dozen of these animals on the territory of Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs living in those places respectfully call the honey badger “itayu”, which means “dog bear”.

But most people in Kazakhstan know this animal only from popular science films. And those who saw the tape “The Gods Must Be Crazy” probably remember a medium-sized, but vicious and at the same time very funny beast that rushed after the main character across the Kalahari desert, trying to bite him on the leg.

This animal got its name for its insane love for honey. Official science classifies the honey badger as a member of the mustelid family, but some scientists consider it to be a representative of a completely independent species. The honey badger is a very secretive animal. He likes to settle in deep dark ravines or dense impenetrable thickets. Its small, less than a meter long, but unusually muscular body rests on disproportionately short legs. The gait of the honey badger is very peculiar - it seems that he does not run, but crawls very quickly along the ground.

The diet of the honey badger includes turtles, ground squirrels, birds, hedgehogs, lizards and rather large monitor lizards. She also loves snakes, even very poisonous ones. For them, he is ready to hunt indefinitely. The only place where the snake can bite this predator is its open muzzle. But even if she succeeds, the strongest poison will only cause swelling and knock the honey badger off his feet for a couple of hours. The swelling then subsides and the honey badger is ready to fight again.

The honey badger is a very strong animal, he even got into the Guinness Book of Records as the most ferocious animal that lives on land. The itayu has very thick skin, which reliably protects it from the fangs of predators and poisonous snakes, porcupine quills and bee stings. And strong forepaws with long claws and powerful teeth of honey badgers are very effective weapons. In addition, they are able, like skunks, to emit a fetid odor in moments of danger. If the itayu feels threatened, then without hesitation, it attacks animals whose size is much larger than its own. They can easily attack a tiger or a buffalo. In its appearance, body structure, fearlessness, aggressive behavior and omnivorous nature, the honey badger strikingly resembles another representative of the mustelids, the wolverine.

There have been cases when a honey badger got into a fierce fight with a lion and a leopard. Of course, he could not win in such skirmishes, but itaiu never backed down and always sold his life dearly. In the old days, hunters, knowing about the courage of the honey badger, ate his heart, believing that they themselves would become just as persistent and courageous.

Until the 80s of the last century, it was believed that the honey badger on the territory of the former USSR lives only in Turkmenistan.

---

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  When do kids learn their name
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  High fly guy