www.dailymaverick.co.za
Open in
urlscan Pro
2606:4700:10::6816:11f
Public Scan
URL:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-29-intriguing-symbiosis-between-greater-honeyguides-and-honey-badgers-the-mythol...
Submission: On July 01 via api from FI — Scanned from FI
Submission: On July 01 via api from FI — Scanned from FI
Form analysis 6 forms found in the DOM
<form id="search">
<div class="input-group">
<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Search for..." required="" minlength="4">
<span class="input-group-btn"><button class="btn search btn-default" type="button">GO</button></span>
</div>
</form>Name: send-magic-email —
<form name="send-magic-email" class="mail-login-engine-shortcode-form">
<h3 class="dm-better">DM is much better if you are signed in...</h3>
<div class="email-form">
<div class="form-group"><label for="send-magic-email" class="email-label">Enter your email below, and we will send you a mail with a link or One-time pin to login.</label><input type="email" class="form-control" name="email" id="send-magic-email"
aria-describedby="emailHelp" placeholder="e.g. john@dailymaverick.co.za" required="required"></div><button type="submit" class="btn btn-danger mail-login-engine-shortcode-sumbit">Send email to login</button>
<p class="email-response"></p>
</div>
<div class="otp-form form-inline">
<p>A code has been sent to <strong class="email-sent-to">...</strong>. Please check you email address.</p>
<p>Please enter the One Time Pin Below:</p>
<div id="otp" class="form-group inputs otp-inputs"><input class="form-control otp-input" type="tel" maxlength="1" data-index="0">
<input class="form-control otp-input" type="tel" maxlength="1" data-index="1">
<input class="form-control otp-input" type="tel" maxlength="1" data-index="2">
<input class="form-control otp-input" type="tel" maxlength="1" data-index="3">
</div>
<div><small>Didn't get the code? <button class="btn btn-link btn-sm resend-email">Resend email</button></small></div>
</div>
<p class="form-text response-text"></p>
<div class="register-form">
<h4>It looks like we don’t have an account for <strong class="your-email">this</strong>.</h4>
<h4>Would you like us to create an account for you?</h4><button class="btn btn-danger px-4 register-btn">Create a new account</button>
</div><a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/sign-in/?utm_source=top-menu&utm_medium=link" class="btn btn-link password-login">Sign in with password</a>
</form>Name: user_login — POST
<form name="user_login" id="user_login" method="post" action="" role="form" novalidate="novalidate">
<div><input type="hidden" name="validate_shop_login" id="validate_shop_login" value="0">
<h3>Login with a password</h3>
<div class="form-group"><input type="email" class="form-control" name="user_email" id="sign_user_email" value="" placeholder="Email Address" required="" minlength="8"></div>
<div class="form-group"><input type="password" class="form-control" name="user_password" id="user_password" minlength="5" value="" placeholder="Password" required=""></div>
<div class="or">
<div>or</div>
</div>
<div class="social-center">
<div class="nsl-container nsl-container-block" data-align="left">
<div class="nsl-container-buttons">
<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/dm-admin/?loginSocial=facebook&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymaverick.co.za%2Farticle%2F2023-06-29-intriguing-symbiosis-between-greater-honeyguides-and-honey-badgers-the-mythology-and-the-facts%2F" rel="nofollow" aria-label="Continue with <b>Facebook</b>" data-plugin="nsl" data-action="connect" data-provider="facebook" data-popupwidth="600" data-popupheight="679" data-e-disable-page-transition="1"><div class="nsl-button nsl-button-default nsl-button-facebook" data-skin="light" style="background-color:#fff;"><div class="nsl-button-svg-container"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1365.3 1365.3" height="24" width="24"><path d="M1365.3 682.7A682.7 682.7 0 10576 1357V880H402.7V682.7H576V532.3c0-171.1 102-265.6 257.9-265.6 74.6 0 152.8 13.3 152.8 13.3v168h-86.1c-84.8 0-111.3 52.6-111.3 106.6v128h189.4L948.4 880h-159v477a682.8 682.8 0 00576-674.3" fill="#1877f2"></path><path d="M948.4 880l30.3-197.3H789.3v-128c0-54 26.5-106.7 111.3-106.7h86V280s-78-13.3-152.7-13.3c-156 0-257.9 94.5-257.9 265.6v150.4H402.7V880H576v477a687.8 687.8 0 00213.3 0V880h159.1" fill="#fff"></path></svg></div><div class="nsl-button-label-container">Continue with <b>Facebook</b></div></div></a><a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/dm-admin/?loginSocial=google&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymaverick.co.za%2Farticle%2F2023-06-29-intriguing-symbiosis-between-greater-honeyguides-and-honey-badgers-the-mythology-and-the-facts%2F" rel="nofollow" aria-label="Continue with <b>Google</b>" data-plugin="nsl" data-action="connect" data-provider="google" data-popupwidth="600" data-popupheight="600" data-e-disable-page-transition="1"><div class="nsl-button nsl-button-default nsl-button-google" data-skin="light" style="background-color:#fff;"><div class="nsl-button-svg-container"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path fill="#4285F4" d="M20.64 12.2045c0-.6381-.0573-1.2518-.1636-1.8409H12v3.4814h4.8436c-.2086 1.125-.8427 2.0782-1.7959 2.7164v2.2581h2.9087c1.7018-1.5668 2.6836-3.874 2.6836-6.615z"></path><path fill="#34A853" d="M12 21c2.43 0 4.4673-.806 5.9564-2.1805l-2.9087-2.2581c-.8059.54-1.8368.859-3.0477.859-2.344 0-4.3282-1.5831-5.036-3.7104H3.9574v2.3318C5.4382 18.9832 8.4818 21 12 21z"></path><path fill="#FBBC05" d="M6.964 13.71c-.18-.54-.2822-1.1168-.2822-1.71s.1023-1.17.2823-1.71V7.9582H3.9573A8.9965 8.9965 0 0 0 3 12c0 1.4523.3477 2.8268.9573 4.0418L6.964 13.71z"></path><path fill="#EA4335" d="M12 6.5795c1.3214 0 2.5077.4541 3.4405 1.346l2.5813-2.5814C16.4632 3.8918 14.426 3 12 3 8.4818 3 5.4382 5.0168 3.9573 7.9582L6.964 10.29C7.6718 8.1627 9.6559 6.5795 12 6.5795z"></path></svg></div><div class="nsl-button-label-container">Continue with <b>Google</b></div></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="checkbox"><label style="font-weight: 300;"><input type="checkbox" name="remember_me" id="remember_me" value="yes" checked="">Remember Me</label></div>
<p><a style="cursor: pointer; float: right" onclick="forgotPassword()" class="btn forgot-password-link">Forgot Password?</a></p><input class="btn btn-danger user_login" type="submit" name="user_login" value="Sign In">
<p class="form-text password-response-text"></p>
</div><a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/sign-in/?utm_source=top-menu&utm_medium=link" class="btn btn-link otp-login-link">Use a One Time Pin?</a>
</form><form class="gsc-search-box gsc-search-box-tools" accept-charset="utf-8" style="display: none;">
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" role="presentation" class="gsc-search-box">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="gsc-input">
<div class="gsc-input-box" id="gsc-iw-id1">
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" role="presentation" id="gs_id50" class="gstl_50 gsc-input" style="width: 100%; padding: 0px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td id="gs_tti50" class="gsib_a"><input autocomplete="off" type="text" size="10" class="gsc-input" name="search" title="search" aria-label="search" id="gsc-i-id1"
style="width: 100%; padding: 0px; border: none; margin: 0px; height: auto; background: url("https://www.google.com/cse/static/images/1x/en/branding.png") left center no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); outline: none;"
dir="ltr" spellcheck="false"></td>
<td class="gsib_b">
<div class="gsst_b" id="gs_st50" dir="ltr"><a class="gsst_a" href="javascript:void(0)" style="display: none;" title="Clear search box" role="button"><span class="gscb_a" id="gs_cb50" aria-hidden="true">×</span></a></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</td>
<td class="gsc-search-button"><button class="gsc-search-button gsc-search-button-v2"><svg width="13" height="13" viewBox="0 0 13 13">
<title>search</title>
<path
d="m4.8495 7.8226c0.82666 0 1.5262-0.29146 2.0985-0.87438 0.57232-0.58292 0.86378-1.2877 0.87438-2.1144 0.010599-0.82666-0.28086-1.5262-0.87438-2.0985-0.59352-0.57232-1.293-0.86378-2.0985-0.87438-0.8055-0.010599-1.5103 0.28086-2.1144 0.87438-0.60414 0.59352-0.8956 1.293-0.87438 2.0985 0.021197 0.8055 0.31266 1.5103 0.87438 2.1144 0.56172 0.60414 1.2665 0.8956 2.1144 0.87438zm4.4695 0.2115 3.681 3.6819-1.259 1.284-3.6817-3.7 0.0019784-0.69479-0.090043-0.098846c-0.87973 0.76087-1.92 1.1413-3.1207 1.1413-1.3553 0-2.5025-0.46363-3.4417-1.3909s-1.4088-2.0686-1.4088-3.4239c0-1.3553 0.4696-2.4966 1.4088-3.4239 0.9392-0.92727 2.0864-1.3969 3.4417-1.4088 1.3553-0.011889 2.4906 0.45771 3.406 1.4088 0.9154 0.95107 1.379 2.0924 1.3909 3.4239 0 1.2126-0.38043 2.2588-1.1413 3.1385l0.098834 0.090049z">
</path>
</svg></button></td>
<td class="gsc-clear-button">
<div class="gsc-clear-button" title="clear results"> </div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</form>POST https://www.createsend.com/t/subscribeerror?description=
<form class="js-cm-form" id="subForm" action="https://www.createsend.com/t/subscribeerror?description=" method="post" data-id="[%% ListID %%]">
<div>
<div><input autocomplete="Email" aria-label="Email" class="js-cm-email-input qa-input-email" id="fieldEmail" maxlength="200" name="cm-jkdtdyt-jkdtdyt" placeholder="Your Email" required="" type="email"></div>
</div><button class="js-cm-submit-button" type="submit">Subscribe</button>
</form><form autocomplete="off" role="search" class="jetpack-instant-search__search-results-search-form">
<div class="jetpack-instant-search__search-form">
<div class="jetpack-instant-search__box"><label class="jetpack-instant-search__box-label" for="jetpack-instant-search__box-input-1">
<div class="jetpack-instant-search__box-gridicon"><svg class="gridicon gridicons-search " focusable="true" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-hidden="false" style="height: 24px; width: 24px;">
<title>Magnifying Glass</title>
<g>
<path d="M21 19l-5.154-5.154C16.574 12.742 17 11.42 17 10c0-3.866-3.134-7-7-7s-7 3.134-7 7 3.134 7 7 7c1.42 0 2.742-.426 3.846-1.154L19 21l2-2zM5 10c0-2.757 2.243-5 5-5s5 2.243 5 5-2.243 5-5 5-5-2.243-5-5z"></path>
</g>
</svg></div><input autocomplete="off" id="jetpack-instant-search__box-input-1" class="search-field jetpack-instant-search__box-input" inputmode="search" placeholder="Search…" type="search"><button class="screen-reader-text assistive-text"
tabindex="-1">Search</button>
</label></div>
</div>
</form>Text Content
Toggle navigation Toggle navigation * Home * Investigations * Scorpio * Our Burning Planet * Amabhungane * Declassified UK * News & Analysis * Business Maverick * Maverick Citizen * Sport * Newsdeck * Maverick News * Features * Opinionistas * Maverick Life * TGIFood * Covid-19 * Podcasts * Webinars * Zapiro * Newsletters * Newspaper * E-Edition * Contact Us * Search GO DM IS MUCH BETTER IF YOU ARE SIGNED IN... Enter your email below, and we will send you a mail with a link or One-time pin to login. Send email to login A code has been sent to .... Please check you email address. Please enter the One Time Pin Below: Didn't get the code? Resend email IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT FOR THIS. WOULD YOU LIKE US TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT FOR YOU? Create a new account Sign in with password LOGIN WITH A PASSWORD or Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Remember Me Forgot Password? Use a One Time Pin? GET SUPPORT DM SHOP Shop SUPPORT DM Login × search Custom Search Sort by: Date Date Relevance OUR BURNING PLANET INTERSPECIES COOPERATION INTRIGUING SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN GREATER HONEYGUIDES AND HONEY BADGERS – THE MYTHOLOGY AND THE FACTS A honey badger feeds on honeycomb in Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique. (Photo: Dominic Cram) By Shaun Smillie Follow Following 29 Jun 2023 Follow Following 1 RESEARCHERS HAVE INTERVIEWED INDIGENOUS HUNTER-GATHERERS FROM NINE AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO TRY TO ESTABLISH WHETHER HONEYGUIDES REALLY DO LEAD HONEY BADGERS TO BEE HIVES. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ. SIGN UP FOR FREE OR SIGN IN TO CONTINUE READING. UNLIKE OUR COMPETITORS, WE DON'T FORCE YOU TO PAY TO READ THE NEWS, BUT WE DO NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE BETTER. CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT OR SIGN IN FAQ | CONTACT US NEARLY THERE! CREATE A PASSWORD TO FINISH SIGNING UP WITH US: YOU WANT TO RECEIVE FIRST THING, OUR FLAGSHIP NEWSLETTER. OPT OUT AT ANY TIME. PLEASE ENTER YOUR PASSWORD OR GET A SIGN IN LINK IF YOU’VE FORGOTTEN OPEN SESAME! THANKS FOR SIGNING UP. Listen to this article 0:00 / 5:41 1X BeyondWords For centuries, it has been a myth that has captivated naturalists and has even made the odd appearance in films. That myth involves the greater honeyguide (Indicator indicator) – the bird famously known for leading humans to honey – helping honey badgers find bee hives. MAKE SENSE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS HEAR WEEKLY FROM THE BIGGEST CLIMATE REPORTING DIVISION IN AFRICA, REPORTING STORIES THAT CONCERN YOU, YOUR FUTURE AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT. DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX, FREE OF CHARGE. SUBSCRIBE But it is a myth that might actually be true, thanks to a new study that involved interviewing 400 honey hunters from across Africa. The problem with stories about honey badgers and honeyguides cooperating, explains Dr Jessica van der Wal of the University of Cape Town, the lead author of the study, is that many of these are old second-hand accounts. A honey hunter harvests a bees’ nest in the Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique. (Photo: Dominic Cram) Shaky anecdotes even crept into the 1974 wildlife documentary film Animals Are Beautiful People (also called Beautiful People) by the well-known South African director Jamie Uys, who included a scene where a suspected tame honey badger followed a taxidermied honeyguide attached to a fishing line to a bee hive. The movie went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film in 1974. “Do honeyguides and honey badgers cooperate? My default answer always was that it is quite unlikely because honey badgers can’t see very well, can’t hear very well but they can smell very well. So they probably don’t need the honeyguide to find those bee hives,” explains Van der Wal. “So that’s what kind of motivated us to look into this a bit more carefully and speak to the experts, which are the honey hunters themselves.” The honey hunters are from nine countries across Africa and many use honeyguides to help them find bee hives. After breaking into the hive, they leave an offering of beeswax for the bird. Researchers in these countries asked the hunters if they had seen honeyguides interacting with honey badgers. Most hadn’t and doubted that honeyguides guided honey badgers to bee hives. However, in Tanzania, a large proportion of those interviewed had seen the two species together and in close proximity to bee hives. The honey badger, also known as the ratel, has a reputation for being a tough guy taking on predators far larger than itself and enduring a bee swarm attack when it breaks open their hive. The Hadzabe, a hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania, reported these sightings the most, with 61% of the respondents saying they had seen the interaction. “Hadzabe hunter-gatherers quietly move through the landscape while hunting animals with bows and arrows, so are poised to observe badgers and honeyguides interacting without disturbing them. Over half of the hunters reported witnessing these interactions, on a few rare occasions,” said Dr Brian Wood from the University of California Los Angeles, a co-author of the study. The study was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Zoology. A VERY OLD RELATIONSHIP Previous research by the authors of the study has shown that humans and the small chatty bird have had a relationship that stretches way back in time. “The honeyguides call to the humans, and the humans call back – it’s a kind of conversation as they move through the landscape towards the bees’ nests,” said Dr Claire Spottiswoode, from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and a joint senior author of the study. Honey hunters from different communities attract honeyguides by using different calls. In northern Mozambique, hunters make a “brrrr” sound to alert the bird that they are now on the search for honey, while in Tanzania, honey hunters whistle to get the honeyguide’s attention. But scientists can’t definitively say that honey badgers and honeyguides are working together to harvest honey and beeswax. The problem is the humans that happen to see the two species together. “If you go into the forest, and you see a honeyguide chattering to a honey badger, there’s no way of really knowing whether that honeyguide is chattering at the badger or to you,” says Van der Wal. The only way to prove that the two are in cahoots is to catch them in the act. “We suggest using audio-recording GPS tracking collars, so you would find the honey badgers, put the collars on them and these will then record all the sounds in their environment. But it will be hard as badgers are not the easiest species to capture,” explains Van der Wal. The researchers also propose using experiments to see how badgers interact in the presence of a honeyguide. It might be that it is only honey badgers in Tanzania that have learnt to cooperate with honeyguides. The knowledge of trusting the bird to lead them to a bee hive could be learnt from time spent with their mothers and passed on from generation to generation. Ultimately, the scientists hope that if they catch honey badgers and honeyguides in the act of helping each other out, it will help to preserve a practice that most likely goes back further than when humankind began working with dogs, horses and other livestock that helped to build the civilisations of our past. “The goal of the honeyguide research project is to broadly understand the ecology and evolution of this rare human-wildlife cooperation and to understand how it is declining,” says Van der Wal. “And how we can safeguard it, because it’s a complicated, positive human-wildlife interaction that obviously involves livelihoods.” DM To read all about Daily Maverick’s recent The Gathering: Earth Edition, click here. Share to Facebook Facebook Share to Twitter Twitter Share to Email App Email App Share to WhatsApp WhatsApp Hide WE WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO START PAYING FOR DAILY MAVERICK... …but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury. Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so. If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can. Support Daily Maverick→ * Hadzabe * honey badger * honeyguides * Jamie Uys * Jessica van der Wal * Shaun Smillie Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMENTS - SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Please note you must be a Maverick Insider to comment. Sign up here or sign in if you are already an Insider. Everybody has an opinion but not everyone has the knowledge and the experience to contribute meaningfully to a discussion. That’s what we want from our members. Help us learn with your expertise and insights on articles that we publish. We encourage different, respectful viewpoints to further our understanding of the world. View our comments policy here. All Comments 1 * Alley Cat says: 30 June 2023 at 12:55 Fascinating. Some years ago, we were introduced to the relationship between the pale chanting goshawk and the honey badger in Namibia. 90% of the time if one spotted the goshawk, one observed a honey badger nearby. In this relationship, the goshawk follows the honey badger and eats the insects that are flushed from the hive when the honey badger breaks it open. Great symbiosis. Log in to Reply Adverts on/off? You choose. Listen to this article 0:00 / 5:41 1X BeyondWords TOP READS THIS HOUR Maverick News EMMANUEL MACRON’S WISH TO ATTEND BRICS SUMMIT A TRICKY LITMUS TEST FOR SOUTH AFRICA Maverick News BABY KIDNAPPED FROM GQEBERHA MALL 7 MONTHS AGO FOUND BY ALERT DORA NGINZA HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER, ADMIN CLERK Maverick News AARON MOTSOALEDI CRIES FOUL OVER ZIMBABWEAN EXEMPTION PERMIT RULING, APPLIES FOR LEAVE TO APPEAL TGIFood FROM THE BELLY OF THE BEAST TO GALJOEN Maverick News INSIDE NAFIZ MODACK’S MULTIMILLION-RAND VAT FRAUD CASE – A FAMILY AFFAIR WITH HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER TOP READS IN SECTION Maverick News EMMANUEL MACRON’S WISH TO ATTEND BRICS SUMMIT A TRICKY LITMUS TEST FOR SOUTH AFRICA Maverick News BABY KIDNAPPED FROM GQEBERHA MALL 7 MONTHS AGO FOUND BY ALERT DORA NGINZA HOSPITAL SOCIAL WORKER, ADMIN CLERK South Africa PAUL MASHATILE’S PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS LOSE LUSTRE IN HARSH GLARE OF NEWS SPOTLIGHT South Africa TEFLON GWEDE MANTASHE APPEARS TO LEAD A CHARMED LIFE DESPITE HIS FREQUENT (DELIBERATE?) MISSTEPS Maverick News WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ‘LANDSPOUT’ THAT TORE THROUGH PARTS OF KWAZULU-NATAL SPONSORED CONTENT Sponsored Content TIKTOK SHAKES UP SA SOCIAL MEDIA ‘BIG FIVE’ Sponsored Content NEDBANK COMMERCIAL BANKING IS HELPING CLIENTS TO WEATHER THE ENERGY CRISIS THROUGH INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS THAT MAKE BUSINESS SENSE Sponsored Content #NETZERO: HOW A BANK MANAGES ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT Sponsored Content THE IMPLICATIONS FOR INVESTORS OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT Sponsored Content CAN A REGULATION 28 COMPLIANT FUND SHELTER RETIREMENT SAVINGS FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY? Share to Facebook Facebook Share to Twitter Twitter Share to Email App Email App Share to WhatsApp WhatsApp Hide INVESTIGATIONS * Scorpio * Our Burning Planet * amaBhungane * Maverick Citizen * Declassified UK * Contact Us INVESTIGATIONS * Scorpio * Our Burning Planet * amaBhungane * Maverick Citizen * Declassified UK * Contact Us NEWS & ANALYSIS * Business Maverick * Maverick Citizen * Maverick Sports * Newsdeck * Contact Us NEWS & ANALYSIS * Business Maverick * Maverick Citizen * Maverick Sports * Newsdeck * Contact Us FEATURES * Opinionista * Maverick Life * TGIFood * COVID-19 * Podcasts * Zapiro FEATURES * Opinionista * Maverick Life * TGIFood * COVID-19 * Podcasts * Zapiro NEWSLETTERS * First Thing * Business Maverick * Judith’s Prudence * SME * Life & Books * TGIFood * Zapiro * Sports * Advertise with us * Sales Deck NEWSLETTERS * First Thing * Business Maverick * Judith’s Prudence * SME * Life & Books * TGIFood * Zapiro * Sports * Advertise with us * Sales Deck COMMUNITY * About us * Membership * Events & Webinars * Follow us on twitter * Follow us on facebook * Announcements * Buy Books & Swag * DM’s 10 Year Story * Help Centre * Contact us COMMUNITY * About us * Membership * Events & Webinars * Announcements * Buy Books & Swag * DM’s 10 Year Story * Help Centre * Contact us DM168 * E-Edition * Contact Us DM168 * E-Edition * Contact Us Daily Maverick © All rights reserved We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Cookie SettingsAccept All Manage consent Close PRIVACY OVERVIEW This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ... Necessary Necessary Always Enabled Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. CookieDurationDescription__cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFlare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information._GRECAPTCHA5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Google. In addition to certain standard Google cookies, reCAPTCHA sets a necessary cookie (_GRECAPTCHA) when executed for the purpose of providing its risk analysis.cid1 yearThis is an important cookie in making credit card transaction on the website. It allows the online transaction without storing the credit card information.This service is provided by Stripe.com.connect.sid1 monthThis cookie is used for authentication and for secure log-in. It registers the log-in information.cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".CookieLawInfoConsent1 yearRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.elementorneverThis cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.JSESSIONIDsessionUsed by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. Functional Functional Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. CookieDurationDescription__atuvc1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by Addthis to make sure you see the updated count if you share a page and return to it before our share count cache is updated.__atuvs30 minutesThis cookie is set by Addthis to make sure you see the updated count if you share a page and return to it before our share count cache is updated.__cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie is set by CloudFlare. The cookie is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.__pvi1 dayThis cookie is used for the implementation of the news content from other sites.bcookie2 yearsThis cookie is set by linkedIn. The purpose of the cookie is to enable LinkedIn functionalities on the page.lidc1 dayThis cookie is set by LinkedIn and used for routing. Performance Performance Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. CookieDurationDescriptiond3 monthsThis cookie tracks anonymous information on how visitors use the website. Analytics Analytics Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. CookieDurationDescription__gads1 year 24 daysThis cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites._ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors._ga_Y7XD5FHQVG2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics._gat_UA-10686674-11 minuteThis is a pattern type cookie set by Google Analytics, where the pattern element on the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. It appears to be a variation of the _gat cookie which is used to limit the amount of data recorded by Google on high traffic volume websites._gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.ajs_anonymous_idneverThis cookie is set by Segment.io to check the number of ew and returning visitors to the website.ajs_user_idneverThe cookie is set by Segment.io and is used to analyze how you use the websiteANON_ID3 monthsThis cookie is provided by Tribalfusion. The cookie is used to give a unique number to visitors, and collects data on user behaviour like what page have been visited. This cookie also helps to understand which sale has been generated by as a result of the advertisement served by third party.jam_heavy_ga_session5 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.UserID13 monthsThe cookie sets a unique anonymous ID for a website visitor. This ID is used to continue to identify users across different sessions and track their activities on the website. The data collected is used for analysis.uvc1 year 1 monthThe cookie is set by addthis.com to determine the usage of Addthis.com service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. CookieDurationDescription__tbc2 yearsThis cookie is used for measuring the efficiency of advertisement by registering data on visitors from multiple website._cc_aud8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_ccsessionThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_dc8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_id8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._kuid_5 months 27 daysThe cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising._rxuuid1 yearThe main purpose of this cookie is targeting, advertesing and effective marketing. This cookie is used to set a unique ID to the visitors, which allow third party advertisers to target the visitors with relevant advertisement up to 1 year.ANON_ID_old3 monthsThis cookie helps to categorise the users interest and to create profiles in terms of resales of targeted marketing. This cookie is used to collect user information such as what pages have been viewed on the website for creating profiles.bscookie2 yearsThis cookie is a browser ID cookie set by Linked share Buttons and ad tags.CMID1 yearThe cookie is set by CasaleMedia. The cookie is used to collect information about the usage behavior for targeted advertising.CMPRO3 monthsThis cookie is set by Casalemedia and is used for targeted advertisement purposes.CMPS3 monthsThis cookie is set by Casalemedia and is used for targeted advertisement purposes.CMST1 dayThe cookie is set by CasaleMedia. The cookie is used to collect information about the usage behavior for targeted advertising.DSID1 hourThis cookie is setup by doubleclick.net. This cookie is used by Google to make advertising more engaging to users and are stored under doubleclick.net. It contains an encrypted unique ID.google_push5 minutesThis cookie is set by the Bidswitch. This cookie is used to collect statistical data related to the user website visit such as the number of visits, average time spent on the website and what pages have been loaded. This collected information is used to sort out the users based on demographics and geographical locations inorder to serve them with relevant online advertising.i1 yearThe purpose of the cookie is not known yet.id3 monthsThe main purpose of this cookie is targeting and advertising. It is used to create a profile of the user's interest and to show relevant ads on their site. This Cookie is set by DoubleClick which is owned by Google.IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.IDSYNC1 yearThis cookie is used for advertising purposes.KADUSERCOOKIE3 monthsThe cookie is set by pubmatic.com for identifying the visitors' website or device from which they visit PubMatic's partners' website.KTPCACOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by pubmatic.com for the purpose of checking if third-party cookies are enabled on the user's website.ljt_reader1 yearThis is a Lijit Advertising Platform cookie. The cookie is used for recognizing the browser or device when users return to their site or one of their partner's site.loc1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by Addthis. This is a geolocation cookie to understand where the users sharing the information are located.mc1 year 1 monthThis cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.mt_mop1 monthStores information about how the user uses the website such as what pages have been loaded and any other advertisement before visiting the website for the purpose of targeted advertisements.personalization_id2 yearsThis cookie is set by twitter.com. It is used integrate the sharing features of this social media. It also stores information about how the user uses the website for tracking and targeting.suid_legacy1 yearThis cookie is used to collect information on user preference and interactioin with the website campaign content. This cookie is used for promoting events and products by the webiste owners on CRM-campaign-platform.TDCPM1 yearThe cookie is set by CloudFlare service to store a unique ID to identify a returning users device which then is used for targeted advertising.TDID1 yearThe cookie is set by CloudFlare service to store a unique ID to identify a returning users device which then is used for targeted advertising.test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.tluid3 monthsThis cookie is set by the provider AdRoll.This cookie is used to identify the visitor and to serve them with relevant ads by collecting user behaviour from multiple websites.tuuid1 yearThis cookie is set by .bidswitch.net. The cookies stores a unique ID for the purpose of the determining what adverts the users have seen if you have visited any of the advertisers website. The information is used for determining when and how often users will see a certain banner.tuuid_lu1 yearThis cookie is set by .bidswitch.net. The cookies stores a unique ID for the purpose of the determining what adverts the users have seen if you have visited any of the advertisers website. The information is used for determining when and how often users will see a certain banner.uid5 months 27 daysThis cookie is used to measure the number and behavior of the visitors to the website anonymously. The data includes the number of visits, average duration of the visit on the website, pages visited, etc. for the purpose of better understanding user preferences for targeted advertisments.uuid1 year 27 daysTo optimize ad relevance by collecting visitor data from multiple websites such as what pages have been loaded.VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.wfivefivec1 year 1 monthThe domain of this cookie is owned by Dataxu. The main business activity of this cookie is targeting and advertising. This cookie tracks the advertisement report which helps us to improve the marketing activity.xbc2 yearsThis cookie is used for optmizing the advertisement on the website more relevant by analysing the user behaviour and interaction with the website.YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos. Others Others Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. CookieDurationDescription__browsiSessionID30 minutesNo description available.__browsiUID1 yearNo description available.__cflb23 hoursThis cookie is used by Cloudflare for load balancing.__gpi1 year 24 daysNo descriptionajs_group_idneverThis cookie is set by Segment.io. The purpose of the cookie is currently not identified.blkbs6 days 23 hoursNo descriptioncharitable_session1 dayNo description available.cookietestsessionNo descriptiondebugneverNo description available.gCStest7 years 1 month 26 days 16 hoursNo descriptionmuc_ads2 yearsNo descriptionrevengine_browser_idsessionNo descriptionrevengine-browser-tokensessionRevEngine Data Tool.rl_user_idneverNo description available.tf_respondent_cc6 monthsNo descriptionUserMatchHistory1 monthLinkedin - Used to track visitors on multiple websites, in order to present relevant advertisement based on the visitor's preferences.vic_loc_error10 minutesNo descriptionvicinity_id1 year 10 months 24 days 11 hoursVicinity Advertising. SAVE & ACCEPT Powered by PLEASE PEER REVIEW 3 COMMUNITY COMMENTS BEFORE YOUR COMMENT CAN BE POSTED looks goodnomis/disinformation? BECOME AN INSIDER There are many great benefits to being a Maverick Insider. Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster. Click here to see other benefits and to sign-up to our reader community supporting quality, independent journalism. Find out More word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word word mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 1 Close window X REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. INTRIGUING SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN GREATER HONEYGUIDES AND HONEY BADGERS – THE MYTHOLOGY AND THE FACTS by Shaun Smillie, Daily Maverick June 29, 2023 <h1>Intriguing symbiosis between greater honeyguides and honey badgers – the mythology and the facts</h1> <p class="byline">by Shaun Smillie, Daily Maverick <br>June 29, 2023</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">For centuries, it has been a myth that has captivated naturalists and has even made the odd appearance in films.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">That myth involves the greater honeyguide </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">(Indicator indicator)</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> – the bird famously known for leading humans to honey – helping honey badgers find bee hives.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">But it is a myth that might actually be true, thanks to a new study that involved interviewing 400 honey hunters from across Africa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The problem with stories about honey badgers and honeyguides cooperating, explains Dr Jessica van der Wal of the University of Cape Town, the lead author of the study, is that many of these are old second-hand accounts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Shaky anecdotes even crept into the 1974 wildlife documentary film </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400"> </span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_Are_Beautiful_People"><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Animals Are Beautiful People</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> (also called </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Beautiful People</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400">) by the well-known South African director Jamie Uys, who included a scene where a suspected tame honey badger followed a taxidermied honeyguide attached to a fishing line to a bee hive. The movie went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film in 1974.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“Do honeyguides and honey badgers cooperate? My default answer always was that it is quite unlikely because honey badgers can’t see very well, can’t hear very well but they can smell very well. So they probably don’t need the honeyguide to find those bee hives,” explains Van der Wal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“So that’s what kind of motivated us to look into this a bit more carefully and speak to the experts, which are the honey hunters themselves.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The honey hunters are from nine countries across Africa and many use honeyguides to help them find bee hives. After breaking into the hive, they leave an offering of beeswax for the bird.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Researchers in these countries asked the hunters if they had seen honeyguides interacting with honey badgers. Most hadn’t and doubted that honeyguides guided honey badgers to bee hives.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">However, in Tanzania, a large proportion of those interviewed had seen the two species together and in close proximity to bee hives. The honey badger, also known as the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">ratel</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400">, has a reputation for being a tough guy taking on predators far larger than itself and enduring a bee swarm attack when it breaks open their hive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Hadzabe, a hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania, reported these sightings the most, with 61% of the respondents saying they had seen the interaction.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“Hadzabe hunter-gatherers quietly move through the landscape while hunting animals with bows and arrows, so are poised to observe badgers and honeyguides interacting without disturbing them. Over half of the hunters reported witnessing these interactions, on a few rare occasions,” said Dr Brian Wood from the University of California Los Angeles, a co-author of the study.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The study was published in the </span><a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jzo.13093"><span style="font-weight: 400">latest issue of the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Journal of Zoology</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></i></p> <h4><b>A very old relationship</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Previous research by the authors of the study has shown that humans and the small chatty bird have had a relationship that stretches way back in time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“The honeyguides call to the humans, and the humans call back – it’s a kind of conversation as they move through the landscape towards the bees’ nests,” said Dr Claire Spottiswoode, from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and a joint senior author of the study.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Honey hunters from different communities attract honeyguides by using different calls. In northern Mozambique, hunters make a “brrrr” sound to alert the bird that they are now on the search for honey, while in Tanzania, honey hunters whistle to get the honeyguide’s attention.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">But scientists can’t definitively say that honey badgers and honeyguides are working together to harvest honey and beeswax.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The problem is the humans that happen to see the two species together.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“If you go into the forest, and you see a honeyguide chattering to a honey badger, there’s no way of really knowing whether that honeyguide is chattering at the badger or to you,” says Van der Wal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The only way to prove that the two are in cahoots is to catch them in the act.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“We suggest using audio-recording GPS tracking collars, so you would find the honey badgers, put the collars on them and these will then record all the sounds in their environment. But it will be hard as badgers are not the easiest species to capture,” explains Van der Wal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The researchers also propose using experiments to see how badgers interact in the presence of a honeyguide.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">It might be that it is only honey badgers in Tanzania that have learnt to cooperate with honeyguides.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The knowledge of trusting the bird to lead them to a bee hive could be learnt from time spent with their mothers and passed on from generation to generation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Ultimately, the scientists hope that if they catch honey badgers and honeyguides in the act of helping each other out, it will help to preserve a practice that most likely goes back further than when humankind began working with dogs, horses and other livestock that helped to build the civilisations of our past.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“The goal of the honeyguide research project is to broadly understand the ecology and evolution of this rare human-wildlife cooperation and to understand how it is declining,” says Van der Wal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">“And how we can safeguard it, because it’s a complicated, positive human-wildlife interaction that obviously involves livelihoods.” </span><b>DM</b></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400">To read all about Daily Maverick’s recent The Gathering: Earth Edition, click </span></i><a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/the-gathering-earth-edition-solutions-for-a-sustainable-future/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400">here</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></i></p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk</p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-29-intriguing-symbiosis-between-greater-honeyguides-and-honey-badgers-the-mythology-and-the-facts/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za">Daily Maverick</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/?republication-pixel=true&post=1747188&ga=UA-10686674-1" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p> Copy to Clipboard SEARCH RESULTS Magnifying Glass Search Close search results Sort by: Relevance•Newest•Oldest NO RESULTS FOUND FILTER OPTIONS Close Search Search powered by Jetpack