Mellivora capensis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the sole living representative of the Mellivorinae subfamily of the Mustelidae.
It has a fairly long body, with a distinctly thick-set and broad back, and remarkably loose skin, allowing the badger to turn and twist freely within it. The largest terrestrial mustelid in Africa, the honey badger measures 55 to 77 cm (22 to 30 in) long and weighs up to 16 kg (35 lb). Sexual dimorphism has been recorded in this species, with males being larger and heavier than females. It has two pairs of mammae, and an eversible anal pouch.
The honey badger is a solitary animal that can be active at any time of day, depending on the location. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin, strength and ferocious defensive abilities. Adults maintain large home ranges, and display scent-marking behavior. The species has no fixed breeding period. After a gestation of 50–70 days, a female will give birth to an average of one to two cubs that will remain under her care for 1–1+1⁄4 years. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. In popular media, the honey badger is best known as an aggressive, intelligent animal that is fearless and tough in nature. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Nandankanan Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Nehru Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Johannesburg Zoo | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Kano Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 8 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Tanganyika Wildlife Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Havana Zoo | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 11 | Naples Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Belgrade Zoo | 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
| 13 | Living Treasures "Wild" Animal Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 16 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 17 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 18 | Audu Bako Zoo | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 19 | Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 20 | Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 21 | フクロウとキタキツネの森 | 🇯🇵 Japan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Honey Badger sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 34 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Honey Badger in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and December–June, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Honey Badger sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
8th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Honey Badger sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 40%), Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 20%) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 20%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Honey Badger that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Banded Mongoose (about 20%), Leopard (about 10%) and Lion (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Honey Badger is recorded against all the mammals logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
