Honey badger behaviour at its best! Thankfully, this little pup now has a shot at surviving on her own in the wild once released.
Betty’s Bay, South Africa (20 April 2026) – A little honey badger pup found lonesome and abandoned at Vergelegen Wine Estate is now in the care of the Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue Centre in Betty’s Bay.
Workers at the wine estate found her in the tall grass, a tiny black and white ball of growls. She was small, dehydrated, and her mum was nowhere to be found. Rescuers immediately admitted her to the centre where she could be seen to by vets, and properly cared for.
“No mother was found, so the little bundle of trouble was brought to the Cocherberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue Center where she immediately received treatment for dehydration and was fed a suitable diet.”
Being only a few weeks old, the pup has required specialised care and midnight feeds to match her nocturnal routine. She’s thoroughly unimpressed by her rescuers and their attempts to rehabilitate her, but they would rather prefer it that way. In fact, her hostility toward humans is, in this case, the goal. A honey badger that tolerates people too comfortably doesn’t survive long in the wild.
The fact that she meets every feed with a growl, and that honey is the team’s only negotiating tool, is actually a good thing.
“Honey is her weakness, of course, and it’s our best trick for getting her to cooperate, but on her terms.”
The staff at Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue also had to work quickly in building her a suitable outdoor enclosure – that was a challenge on its own. We all know the honey badger’s reputation for being an escape artist. Stoffel, old boy, we’re looking at you!
Currently, the little pup is still under care at the centre, and is receiving daily enrichment that keeps her problem-solving instincts sharp ahead of her eventual release back into the wild.
The rescue centre has shared a few precious moments from the little one’s rehabilitation journey so far. The growls, side-eyes, and midnight shenanigans they’ve managed to capture on camera are everything!
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The Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue & Training Centre is a CapeNature-permitted facility rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife for release. To support their work, visit their website or YouTube channel.
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