Honey badgers on the hunt are one of the Kgalagadi’s spectacular sightings. Although they are normally seen trotting along in search of mice and scorpions, Jacques Blignaut spotted one in a tree. What happened next is one of his most treasured moments, and is collected in the book Photo Tales.
You can never dictate what you want to see in the bush. You might have a wish list but there is no guarantee your wishes will be granted. I have learnt this over many years going into the wild, so I always arrive with the attitude that anything I see is a boon. I’ve had many special sightings over the years: from elephants to the smallest insects, they have all been marvellous. Then there is the experience which truly stands out, and that probably no one else has had. But I have photographic proof of this unique sighting, so special you wouldn’t even think to put it on your wish list.
During one of our visits to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a martial eagle and its chick were spotted close to Veertiende Boorgat. On the morning of 15 August 2018, another visitor told me where the nest was located. We’d already passed the location and so decided to visit the nest in the evening.
We arrived at the spot but could see neither the mother nor the chick. Off we drove all the way to Dertiende Boorgat and back. On the return journey I spotted the martial eagle in the nest and then I saw the chick. I was most excited as I have never seen a martial eagle chick before. The next moment I saw a honey badger in the nest and wondered what it could possibly be doing there. Before we could quite take it in, the intruder had snatched the chick. It was like a kidnapping in the movies.
The honey badger popped out of the nest with the martial eagle chick in its mouth. Pictures by Jacques Blignaut, taken from Photo Tales, courtesy of HPH Publishing
In the southern Kalahari honey badgers have been repeatedly recorded raiding raptor nests. As long as a tree’s bark is rough and gives the honey badger something to grasp, the predator can climb it.
The honey badger thief makes off with its prize. The martial eagle chick seems almost as big as its hunter.
We drove away five minutes later in disbelief. I had never seen anything like it. Not even the black-maned lion of the Kalahari could quite beat this. Looking back, I rate it as our most memorable sighting, despite the sorrow we felt, knowing as we did that the martial eagle lays only one egg every two years.
Contribute to Photo Tales
HPH Publishing is working on a second edition of the Photo Tales book. Would you like to see your wildlife photo or action sequence in print? Submit your contribution and you could see your work featured in the second edition of Photo Tales.
Guys, there’s nothing exciting about a honey badger killing a martial eagle chick – that’s just tragic. Much as I love honey badgers, given what raptors face with pesticides, loss of habitat, etc, it is just so sad that it figured out how to get the chick. In any case, surprisingly there was a martial eagle in my garden in Constantia a few months ago, only one I have seen in CT, less than 3 meters from my dog who was barking incessantly, but I got the fright of my life when it took off as the wingspan is absolutely enormous, especially from only a few meters away!
An amazing animal built to survive.
So tragic! Yet what an awesome sighting!
Yes it’s sad. As a lover of raptors I found it heartbreaking. But that’s life.
I’m surprised the adult eagle didn’t attack the honey badger the minute it came to the nest. Or certainly when it got to the ground.
Yes! My thoughts exactly.
There are times when I believe it is preferable to act. I know you weren’t there in time for that, but if I had been there to prevent this, I would. And take whatever consequences that came with it. The loss of the Martial Eagle chick to the Honey Badger as a mere source of protein is simply too tragic.
Yes, tragic as it may seem, nature still contains it’s amazing balance. It is when humans interference that the balance is disturbed. With human interference I don’t mean conservation but exploitation.
Horrified and saddened. How come the adult Martial Eagle did not retaliate at all?
Ssd in many senses, , but this is nature at work – and the photo sequence is excellent. What a privilege it must have been to have captured these moments on camera.
All too often we start a great photo sequence but cannot end it as the animals or wildlife involved move out of sight behind some bushes or tall grass. This is acceptable, but when a sequence is interrupted and come to a premature end because some individuals come onto the scene with music blaring from their vehicle or shout or make a noise to catch the wildlife’s attention, then my blood pressure soars and I have to exercise extreme self control …… those type scenarios are what really riles me !!!!
The honey badger was just being a honey badger. I have no problem with that. But I am surprised as well that the adult eagle didn’t at least try to intervene. Not a good outlook on the ability of the martial eagle species to survive. And this cannot be blamed on human intervention. It’s just a case of survival of the fittest. And in this particular contest it’s the honey badger…my second favorite African animal.
this is just awful!! i love the birdies and the honey badger can rather get something else to feed on