In a rare and puzzling encounter at Kruger National Park, a newborn honey badger pup found itself face-to-face with three large male lions.
What makes this situation even more unusual is the absence of the pup’s fiercely protective mother, leaving experts baffled about her inexplicable disappearance.
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The scene was сарtᴜred by wildlife enthusiast and accountant Leon Badenhorst, who was exploring the park early one morning.
When he encountered the three lions resting in the middle, he had been hoping to spot nocturnal birds near the H9 tar road near Phalaborwa Gate.
Leon, the first car on the scene, cautiously approached the lions, hoping they wouldn’t mind his presence. To his surprise, the lions remained calm and unmoved by his proximity.
As he observed them, one of the lions stood up and began sniffing an object on the road. Initially, Leon assumed it was something ordinary, like buffalo dung.
However, upon zooming in with his camera, he realized it was a tiny animal, though he couldn’t immediately identify the species. It resembled a dwarf mongoose or perhaps a hyena cub due to its coloration.
Leon felt a mix of sadness and curiosity as he watched the small creature, alive and alone in the presence of the lions.
He could hear faint squeals, though his camera couldn’t capture the sound. The lion, seemingly intrigued, gently interacted with the pup, tapping and “playing” with it using its paws.
The situation took a more ominous turn when the lion, after its initial investigation, appeared to recognize the pup as potential prey.
It picked up the tiny honey badger with its teeth and carried it off into the grass. When the lion returned, the pup was no longer with it, and the squeals had ceased.
During his extended observation, Leon noticed an unusual, unpleasant odor. This led him to consider that the lions might have attacked the honey badger’s mother, a disturbing thought given the fierce protective nature of honey badger mothers.
However, there were no visible signs of a struggle—no blood or injuries on the lions—leaving the mother’s absence shrouded in mystery.
While not extremely rare, honey badger sightings in Kruger National Park are uncommon due to their primarily nocturnal activity. Seeing a pup is even rarer, as mothers typically hide them well.
The mother’s absence, especially with lions present, made this sighting unusual and significant.
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