Most animals keep their distance from an angry swarm of bees. The honey badger walks straight toward it. 🍯
These small, stocky animals from Africa and parts of Asia break into wild beehives to get at the honeycomb and, even more, the soft bee larvae packed inside.
Two things help them pull it off. Their skin is thick and unusually loose, so stings struggle to get through, and the badger can twist around even when something grabs hold of it. On top of that, they seem able to put up with a remarkable amount of pain, carrying on eating while bees sting them again and again.
It isn't magic, though. Honey badgers do feel the stings, and a big enough swarm can still hurt them badly. They simply decide the meal is worth it.
Small body, thick skin, and a stubbornness that the whole animal kingdom seems to respect.
