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Image: Honey badger (Mellivora capensis).
Home » Honey badger (Mellivora capensis) » Articles :
A review of the laws and practical action being taken to protect the honey badger and its habitat.
On this page: Legal protection | Habitat protection | Research and conservation work | Welfare | Related Badger Pages
The honey badger is a protected species in India, the former Soviet states in which it occurs, and in a number of African countries including Botswana, Ghana, and the Cape provinces of South Africa. [ b018 , w178-01 , w193 ]
This badger also has a measure of international protection under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora. This convention protects threatened species from all international commercial trade. Appendix III of CITES gives countries the option of listing native species already protected within their own borders; Botswana and Ghana have done so. [ w192 , w193 ]
Populations of the honey badger occur in the following protected areas:
Africa
Middle East and Asia
In the late 1990's, Colleen and Keith Begg undertook a long-term field study of the honey badger in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa (now the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park). This study uncovered a great deal of new information about the behaviour, breeding and exology of the honey badger. The initial fruits of the Beggs' labours can be seen on their website [ w178-01 ] and on this website. A publication is in progress, and is eagerly awaited.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any similar studies being undertaken elsewhere in the honey badger's large geographic range. Field studies of honey badgers in other parts of Africa and in Asia, where conditions are very different to southern Africa, would help to reveal the extent to which the honey badger alters its behaviour to succeed in different climates and environments.
As far as I am aware, few efforts are being made to enhance the welfare of this species in any part of its range. However, the Harnas Wildlife Foundation in Namibia, which provides a home for injured, orphaned and unwanted wild animals, has taken in a honey badger [ w194-01 ].
Find out what's being done to protect:
The honey badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Tim Davis / Photo Researchers, Inc. Used with the permission of the (External) Northern Ohio Ferret Association . Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.
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