Three leopards thought they could take down one lowly honey badger in the wilds of South Africa.
Instead, they found out the hard way that a single honey badger can’t be underestimated — and the entire incredible encounter was caught on video.
Field guide Dan Fiser and business consultant Paola Murguia shared their story with the wildlife site LatestSightings.com, which posted in battle royale online Oct. 10.
They told the website the were parked at &Beyond Kirkman’s Kamp in Kruger National Park when they spotted a mother leopard and two cubs along a riverbank. They followed as the family moved upstream.
WATCH
— Kruger Sightings (@LatestKruger) October 10, 2022
3 Leopards gang up on 1 honey badger but soon regret their decision when it decides to fight back! 🤯https://t.co/KkYh9NEABv pic.twitter.com/RDZj52odGq
“The two cubs walked into the reeds and we heard a loud commotion which the mother reacted to. Then all three appeared, wrestling with a honey badger,” they explained. “The honey badger was fighting back, instead of trying to run away, actually turning the tables at times.”
At first, they didn’t know what the big cats had caught.
They said they were “shocked” when they realized what it was, but also knew badgers are well known for being “fearless and tough animals.”
While the leopard took turns trying to pin down and chomp on their prey, the badger fought back.
“The sighting ended with the honey badger trotting off as though nothing had happened,” the lucky witnesses wrote, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime sighting.”
“An unbelievable battle between two naturally shy and tough animals,” they added. “Never underestimate the underdog.”
Or at least, a honey badger.
