‘Honey badger don’t give a cluck’, but his disguised carers did! After almost two years of rehabilitation, Splinter has been released back into the wild.
Hoedspruit, South Africa (15 April 2026) – In May 2024, Moholoholo Wildlife and Rehabilitation Centre in Hoedspruit welcomed a tiny, two-month-old orphaned honey badger to its facility, where it cares for South Africa’s poisoned, injured and orphaned wildlife.
Splinter, as he was named, was found alone on a dirt road. Rescuers stayed on site to monitor whether his mom would return, but she never did. So began his nearly two-year journey at Moholoholo.
“He came to us in May 2024 as a tiny 2 month old orphan who’s eye has just started to open. He was found alone along a dirt path with no mum insight.” shares the organisation. “He battled with a nasty skin infection which thankfully healed fully after treatment.”
For Splinter to eventually be released back into the wild one day – which is always the goal with orphaned wildlife still able to survive independently – his team of carers went through extra lengths to ensure that he wouldn’t attach to people. This involved dressing up in disguise during feeding and care times, and housing him in the facility’s most secluded rehabilitation section.
“Honey badgers stay with their mum for a minimum of 1.5 years which is why he has been with us for some time. Once he was at the age of independence we were all eager to get him back out into the wild!”
This week, that time finally came, and the team were able to release Splinter back into the wilderness where he belongs. This is Splinter, in his first real encounter with the great outdoors:
Honey badgers have quite the reputation for thriving in the wild. In the 2002 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, the species was named the most fearless animal in the world. Memes have been made about their fierceness. We’ve seen them take on elephants! If that’s anything to go by, Splinter will go on to live his best life and sort out any challenge that lies ahead in his path.
Moholoholo is also the home to world-famous escape artist Stoffel, who before coming into the organisation’s care was hand-raised by a farmer. By then, he was far too used to people to ever go back into the wild, and so he spent over a decade at the facility, outsmarting his carers with one grand escape after the next. Now, he spends his golden years more peacefully alongside his sidekick and partner, Hammie.
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