Viral Video: Rare Sighting Of World’s Most Fearless Animal, Honey Badger, In Chhattisgarh

A rare sighting of an elusive animal called Honey Badger in a village in Chhattisgarh surprised the forest officials.

According to the forest officials, the animal was spotted by people of Kotalbhatti village which falls under the Dudhawa forest range in Kanker district. They found the honey badger next to a road and panicked, following which they informed the forest department.

This animal also called ‘Ratel’, ‘Bijju’, ‘Kabarbijju’, ‘Gadabhalu’ etc. in various parts of the country has high intelligence, to the point where it is capable of using tools.

It has been recorded to be able to escape from latched or locked rooms by opening the latch, as well as digging the wall or burrowing under the ground.

Honey Badger belongs to the Mustelidae family and the Melivora species. Its scientific name is Mellivora capensis. This small animal is the proud holder of a Guinness Book of World Record as, “The Most Fearless Animal”.

The honey badger found has been placed under the care of forest officials.

A few species of this animal are found in certain parts of India. Even though the honey badger is placed in IUCN Red List as ‘least concern species’, some species found in the Indian subcontinent are considered endangered as they are often hunted for skin, fur, etc. The global population is also on the decline.

A video of the honey badger spotted in Chhattisgarh was shared by IPS Dipanshu Kabra on August 18, 2022.

बीते दिनों @KankerDistrict के कोटलभट्टी गांव में बेहद दुर्लभ जीव दिखा.
हनी बैजर नामक यह दुर्लभ जीव एक किसान को सड़क पर तड़पता मिला. वन विभाग इसे अपनी सुरक्षा में ले लिया है.

सीता नदी अभ्यारण से लगे इन इलाकों में ऐसे कई दुर्लभ जीव देखने को मिलते हैं… pic.twitter.com/SMBqBfXktH

— Dipanshu Kabra (@ipskabra) August 18, 2022

It has been speculated that since Kotalbhatti is very close to Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, the animal might have entered the village from there.

There have also been reported sightings of this animal in Similipal National Park which is in the adjoining state of Odisha.