First camera trap record of rare Honey badger in Uttarakhand's Terai East Forest

The Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis), or Ratel, is widely distributed across Africa and Asia, but lacks ecological understanding, especially in Asia. In India, the species is highly protected, listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, affording it the highest level of protection due to its rarity.

Rare Honey Badger protected in India

The Honey Badger has been captured on camera for the first time in the Terai East Forest Division (TEFD) of Uttarakhand. The finding, published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on September 26, 2024, marks an important milestone in understanding the distribution of this elusive species in northern India.

A Honey Badger, a nocturnal mammal from the weasel family, was photographed near the Sharda River Canal in the Bagha-I beat of the Surai range on January 7, 2024. Initially mistaken for a civet cat, forest officials identified it as a Honey Badger due to its large head and black and white mantle.

The research team set up 35 camera traps in the Surai range, including the Sal-dominated forests and Sharda River-Canal region, under Prashant Kumar from the Uttarakhand Forest Department. While the primary goal was to monitor other wildlife, this study resulted in capturing two images of the Honey Badger, the first known photographic evidence of the species in the TEFD.

The Terai East Forest Division is part of the Terai Arc Landscape, a critical region for biodiversity, including tigers, leopards, elephants, and bears. The Sal Forest, covering 28% of the division, provides crucial habitat for many species, and the Honey Badger sighting highlights the area’s ecological richness.

Wildlife corridors vital for animal conservation

The TEFD connects the Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary with the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve through the Kilpura-Khatima-Surai corridor. These wildlife corridors are essential for the movement and migration of large mammals like tigers and elephants. The Honey Badger’s presence adds significance, emphasizing the need for enhanced conservation efforts to protect this ecosystem.

The Honey Badger is solitary and fierce. Despite its small size, it’s a skilled predator and scavenger, preying on various animals, from small mammals to birds and reptiles. They also eat honey, hence their name. Equipped with powerful claws and loose skin, Honey Badgers can twist and turn in their skin to escape predators or tight spaces.

Honey Badger rare but sparsely recorded

Despite its ferocity, the Honey Badger is rarely seen in India, with little known about its population or behavior. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as “Least Concern,” but this belies the Honey Badger’s rarity in India, where few records exist. Recent camera trap sightings from Karnataka’s Bannerghatta National Park (2015), Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve (2016), and Andhra Pradesh’s Northern Eastern Ghats (2019), have contributed to understanding its distribution in India.

Although the Honey Badger has legal protection in India, human activity is threatening its habitat. Increasing population pressure, habitat destruction, and poaching stress the forests of Uttarakhand and the Terai region. Farming and overgrazing near wildlife corridors also pose risks to the ecosystem's balance.

The recent Honey Badger sighting in TEFD highlights the need for more research on this elusive species' habitat preferences, population status, and ecological role. More studies will help develop effective conservation strategies to protect the Honey Badger and other endangered wildlife in the region.

Prashant Kumar, the lead researcher, expressed excitement about the discovery, "We knew Honey Badgers were spotted nearby like the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, but this is the first confirmed presence in our forest division. This rare sighting allows us study them more closely in Uttarakhand."

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