[Curiosities] The true king of Africa

[Draeno]

 

A honey badger -Mellivora capensis- holds her own in a fight against a pride of lions in Selinda Game Reserve, Botswana. The brave mammal managed to take on eight lions and lived to tell the tale.

Despite its smaller size, the brave mustelid snarled and threatened the bewildered cats with claws and teeth, who thought they would catch an easy meal. It soon became clear that the eight lions had bitten off more than they could chew. Kane Motswana, the 34-year-old guide from Selinda Reserve who witnessed the battle unfold, says: "The females were the ones who initially ran towards the honey badger and the subadult males joined soon after." However, they could do nothing against what is considered one of the fiercest animals in the animal kingdom.

In fact, the ratel, as it is also known, is a very robust animal, whose strong fur is difficult to cross even for the powerful jaws of a lion, a leopard, or a pack of hyenas.

It is a fierce, solitary and territorial animal that prefers to live in forested and semi-arid areas, whose strong jaws and sharp teeth allow them to keep the most fearsome predators at bay. Ratels are also extremely voracious, feeding on all kinds of prey, including some of the most venomous snakes in the world. Likewise, they are as capable of digging as they are of climbing trees, something they achieve thanks to the same sharp claws that allow them to open the beehives that delight them, which is why they receive their name.

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/fotografia/foto-del-dia/verdadero-rey-africa_19761