There are some animals you’d be better off not messing around with: they’re usually big, malicious and quite obviously lethal. Lions, gorillas, crocodiles and sharks come quickly to one’s mind.
And then there’s the honey badger, which isn’t all that big and even looks kind of cute. But – don’t get in their way! One glimpse of its eyes would be enough for you to realize how disturbed this violent animal actually is. Trust me, if the hierarchy of the animal kingdom was ordered according to levels of aggression, the honey badger would be the king of beasts.
They live in Africa and India, and they seem to eat everything they can fit in their mouth. It’s not just honey, insects, and rodents; even snakes, gazelles and other predators, like jackals or young crocodiles, can be found on their dinner menu. Hardly any animal is safe from them. Unbelievable!
If a honey badger wants to obtain some honey, it needs some help from the trusty honeyguide bird. The honeyguide attracts attention with its loud squeak and leads the badger to a beehive. The badger destroys the home of the helpless bees and wolfs down the honeycombs and honey, while the bird gets to eat the grubs. A winning team, indeed.
And it gets even better. Thanks to their thick skin, it’s like they wear impervious armour. Feline predators, porcupines and even vipers can’t get past it. The little honey badger will then attack them ferociously, making it clear that you really shouldn’t mess with them. They are sheer malignance and anger – even napping lions and buffaloes will make a hasty retreat when suddenly attacked by a ball of testosterones and claws. And if that’s not enough, honey badgers also have the ability to squirt smelly secretions from their anuses.
If you ever happen to chance across one of these little beasts – run. Run far far away!!
Copyright and source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honigdachs and http://www.world-of-animals.de/Tierlexikon/Tierart_Honigdachs.html
