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00:00:13,410 --> 00:00:17,330
It's the toughest vehicle
in the South African Army.

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20 tonnes of thick-skinned,
all-terrain, fighting machine.

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00:00:26,890 --> 00:00:29,930
And it's named after a badger.

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Meet the ratel, better known
as the honey badger.

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00:00:41,690 --> 00:00:45,970
A honey badger is a fighter.
He goes and he goes and he goes.

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00:00:51,730 --> 00:00:55,530
If I had to use one word
it would be tenacious.

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00:00:55,530 --> 00:00:57,970
HONEY BADGER SNARLS

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00:00:57,970 --> 00:01:01,090
Heavy claws, strong jaws, big teeth.

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00:01:02,650 --> 00:01:06,490
For such a small animal,
they really do pack a punch.

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00:01:13,210 --> 00:01:17,050
There's nothing...
nothing that he's scared of.

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According to the Guinness Book
of Records,

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it is the world's most
fearless animal.

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They do have big attitudes.

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But does the Honey Badger really
deserve its ferocious tag?

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Or is the hype bigger than its bite?

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In South Africa's Limpopo Province,
zoologist Low de Vries

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is on the trail of a pint-sized
animal with a massive reputation.

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I've been fascinated by these guys
from a very young age.

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From eight, nine years old.

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In Afrikaans we say,
'So taai as a ratel',

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which means,
'As tough as a honey badger'.

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That's what I love.
I love that attitude.

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Low is keen to get beyond the legend

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and find out what the honey badger
is really like.

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For a start, it isn't really
a badger at all.

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Built for strength and stamina
rather than speed,

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it's more like a souped-up weasel.

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Though reasonably common,

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honey badgers are mostly nocturnal
and rarely seen.

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They're still relatively unknown
to science.

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Even their special ability to sleep
off snake bites and wake up unharmed

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remains a mystery.

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Up to a quarter of their diet
is made up of venomous snakes.

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And we don't know why the young stay
with their mothers for so long -

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nearly twice as long
as true badgers.

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But it's tales of the honey
badger's sheer audacity

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that have become the stuff
of legend.

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There's all these myths about them.
How many of those are true?

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Following a tip off, Low and his
field assistant Becky are heading

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to a safari lodge where these
normally elusive animals are

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reported to be turning up
every night.

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Tucked away on the outskirts
of Kruger National Park,

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the lodge could be the perfect place

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for Low to set up a new
research project.

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Honey badgers are scavengers
as well as hunters.

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At the safari lodge, they've learnt
that there's a regular supply

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of leftovers at the rubbish dump.

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According to maintenance manager
Alfred,

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the dump has become a magnet

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not just for badgers
but for other animals too.

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Oh, with hyena? Yah.
Have you seen them fight? Yah.

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What happens when they fight?

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So they go underneath the legs
and bite them from behind.

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It might not be pretty,
but the rubbish dump offers Low

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the perfect opportunity

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to see where honey badgers rank
in the pecking order.

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This is where you dump the rubbish?

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Can a badger, as Alfred claims,

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actually see off an animal
five times its own weight?

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From which direction
do they normally come?

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What time do they normally
come in?

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OK.

63
00:06:02,090 --> 00:06:05,090
Thank you very much, Alfred.
Appreciate it.

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Low will be back at dusk
to see for himself

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if the honey badger
really is top dog.

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Though badgers are tolerated
at the lodge,

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they can be a persistent problem
for local farmers.

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I'm trying to make a living
out of free-range pigs.

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Around me is the big five
but my problem is not the big five.

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The real problem
is the honey badger.

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That's the big problem.

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As well as raiding his pig food,

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badgers have attacked
and even killed his dogs.

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If you push him in a corner,
then he will go for you.

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He'll go for your balls

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and he'll get all your balls out,
one time, as quick as that.

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A week ago I catch two on one night.

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They do a lot of damage.

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Some farmers shoot the badgers.

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This one's lucky to be getting
a second chance.

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Hello, hello.

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The farmer has called in
Brian Jones,

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a wildlife conservationist with
a soft spot for honey badgers.

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It's wonderful that you're prepared
to save animals like this.

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They're after the food of my pigs.

86
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OK, open it.

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Brian looks after all kinds
of unwanted animals

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but despite its rough reputation,
the honey badger is his favourite.

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He's rescued around 50 so far.

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OK, Brian, thank you very much.
Bai danke. Go well.

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The badger will be set free later,

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as far from the farmer as possible.

93
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They do get hurt in their traps.

94
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If we see it's quite serious,
we will treat them accordingly.

95
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When that's healed,
we let them go again.

96
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Hopefully they don't
go back to that man

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because he might decide
to start killing them.

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Brian is heading back to base,

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to the place that's been his home
for the last 22 years.

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Set in its own 500 hectare
game reserve,

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Moholoholo is a privately run
animal rehabilitation centre.

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As well as providing a temporary
refuge for injured wildlife,

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it also houses a few
longer-term residents

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including a honey badger, Stoffel,

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and his girlfriend Hammy.

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I've had in my house hippo, rhino,

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brown hyena, spotted hyena,

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leopards, cheetah, lion -
I've had the whole lot,

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but the honey badger, there's
nothing near the honey badger.

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The first badger I took in
was Stoffel.

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He caused chaos in the house.
He damaged everything.

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I mean, he'd come and break
through the window,

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go to the kitchen...

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..knock the dog biscuits over,
go to the fridge, lie on his back,

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kick the fridge open,

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go and smell what's
on the menu today...

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..get the frozen bacon,
sit on his back and eat it.

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And you don't dare stop him.
You just let him do what he wants.

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Stoffel! Stoffel!

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Come on, let's go!

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I don't believe it.

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Stoffel came here 20 years ago
as someone else's unwanted pet

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and is too tame ever to be released
into the wild.

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Though happy at first to look
after him, Brian soon

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discovered that the badger was
a menace to his other animals.

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It doesn't matter how big or small,
he attacked it.

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Nothing was safe from him.

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He grabbed the rhino from underneath
and wouldn't let go.

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And the rhino...
MIMICS RHINO IN DISTRESS

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He grabbed one of my tawny eagles.
He killed the servals.

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He wiped out 30, 40 guinea pigs,
one shot.

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He was extremely destructive.

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When he flies into you
it's not a joke.

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He rips you to pieces.

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Stoffel was becoming
the pet from hell.

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Stoffel, come on, my boy. Stoffel.

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Alas, for Brian, this was
just the start of a long

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and challenging relationship.

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Honey badgers, as their name
suggests, are fond of honey.

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But the mayhem they cause
trying to get it makes them

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a scourge to beekeepers.

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I've spoken to some of the beekeepers
in this area

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who've lost up to 60 hives
in one night.

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If you consider that a beehive
costs about 1,000 rand

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and takes about two or three years
to develop into a production colony,

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you can see what the loss is -
it's huge.

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00:12:22,370 --> 00:12:26,690
On the other hand, it takes guts
to face an angry swarm.

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Badgers that get it wrong
have been stung to death.

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It's the protein-rich grubs
they're after

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as much as the honey.

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I've seen some hives where
the badger's actually got in

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from the side and chewed through
this 22mm wood.

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22 mill is about that thick.

154
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Solid pine.
You know, it's ripped apart.

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Decimation.
Badger won't stop at anything.

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Sadly, badgers that raid too often
risk being poisoned.

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00:13:22,610 --> 00:13:25,450
Guy Stubbs wants to protect
honey badgers

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from the wrath of his fellow
beekeepers

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by developing a cheap but effective
badger-proof hive.

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He's come to the rehab centre

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where he's keen to try out his
approach on some real badgers.

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Phase one is all about watching
and learning.

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Jan, please release the badgers.

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00:13:48,730 --> 00:13:51,290
Enter test badger Stoffel...

165
00:13:52,370 --> 00:13:55,210
..and his apprentice Hammy.

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00:13:56,930 --> 00:14:01,170
Badgers are adept at scaling trees
in the wild

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00:14:01,170 --> 00:14:04,370
but Guy thinks they'll struggle
to reach the hive

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if there's no bark to grip onto.

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00:14:10,130 --> 00:14:14,610
OK, you can actually see he's
just using one claw at a time

170
00:14:14,610 --> 00:14:18,210
and he's hooking his claw into
any little crevice and hole

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that he can find,
and then he pulls his whole body up.

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So, it's showing incredible strength.

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BADGER PANTS

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Can you hear that panting?

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It sounds like it's a lot of effort
for him.

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Through sheer determination,

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Stoffel eventually gets
within range.

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00:14:56,570 --> 00:15:00,530
Look at the way he's grabbing
on to that plastic...

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..and is actually ripping
pieces of it off.

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The sweet taste of success.

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With all his footholds figured out,

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Stoffel is soon back up
to finish the job.

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00:15:37,050 --> 00:15:41,130
A few painful stings
is a small price to pay.

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00:15:43,530 --> 00:15:49,050
One honey badger was found alive
with well over 300 stings.

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00:15:53,170 --> 00:15:56,730
So by just having it off the ground
in a tree,

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isn't a guarantee
for protecting your hive.

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00:16:04,930 --> 00:16:08,370
Armed with valuable first-hand
observations,

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00:16:08,370 --> 00:16:11,130
Guy is now ready to go and design

189
00:16:11,130 --> 00:16:14,050
his badger-saving badger-proof hive.

190
00:16:28,130 --> 00:16:33,250
At a game lodge near Kruger National
Park, zoologist Low de Vries

191
00:16:33,250 --> 00:16:36,290
has a ring-side seat
at the rubbish dump.

192
00:16:37,810 --> 00:16:41,690
He's hoping to see for himself
if the honey badger lives up to

193
00:16:41,690 --> 00:16:43,730
its ferocious billing.

194
00:16:50,610 --> 00:16:53,130
There's no mistaking a honey badger.

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00:16:53,130 --> 00:16:58,130
It wears a bold black and-white coat
and moves with a confident trot.

196
00:17:18,970 --> 00:17:23,610
Like a skunk, its vibrant
markings send a warning.

197
00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:27,170
"Mess with me at your peril."

198
00:17:42,010 --> 00:17:47,090
The two badgers certainly don't
appear put off by Low's presence.

199
00:18:32,170 --> 00:18:35,850
Pairs of badgers were once
thought to be couples,

200
00:18:35,850 --> 00:18:40,730
but, in fact, badger pups stick
with their mums for up to two years

201
00:18:40,730 --> 00:18:44,090
and it can be hard to tell
one from the other.

202
00:19:03,890 --> 00:19:07,130
The long childhood suggests
the pup has a lot to learn

203
00:19:07,130 --> 00:19:09,730
before it can survive on its own.

204
00:19:11,370 --> 00:19:15,290
This one is busy mastering the art
of bin-raiding.

205
00:19:16,690 --> 00:19:18,690
LOW LAUGHS

206
00:19:25,410 --> 00:19:29,730
The greedy badgers won't have
the place to themselves for long

207
00:19:29,730 --> 00:19:31,890
and they seem to know it.

208
00:19:42,850 --> 00:19:46,410
A porcupine is the next to pitch up.

209
00:19:50,610 --> 00:19:53,010
Along with the jackals,
they hang around

210
00:19:53,010 --> 00:19:55,650
and wait for the badger's
discarded scraps.

211
00:20:04,810 --> 00:20:06,650
BADGER SNARLS

212
00:20:06,650 --> 00:20:11,090
Venture too close
and it becomes clear who's boss.

213
00:20:16,610 --> 00:20:21,890
Even the civet, a larger carnivore,
knows to steer clear.

214
00:20:24,410 --> 00:20:26,730
BADGER GROWLS

215
00:20:26,730 --> 00:20:32,250
For Low, this is a rare opportunity
to watch wild honey badgers -

216
00:20:32,250 --> 00:20:35,610
an opportunity he's waited
a long time for.

217
00:20:35,610 --> 00:20:40,130
I'm noticing the incredible number
of sounds these guys are making.

218
00:20:43,610 --> 00:20:46,370
Chattering and growling
at each other.

219
00:20:53,450 --> 00:20:56,090
Chirping away, kind of like
a contact call.

220
00:21:03,330 --> 00:21:06,250
At times, they almost sound
like jackals.

221
00:21:14,290 --> 00:21:17,210
They're not bothered by my presence.

222
00:21:19,170 --> 00:21:22,210
I've been obsessed with these animals
for so many years.

223
00:21:27,650 --> 00:21:31,130
Honey badgers normally forage alone

224
00:21:31,130 --> 00:21:35,010
but news of the dump
appears to have spread.

225
00:21:39,370 --> 00:21:41,330
BADGERS GRUNT

226
00:21:51,650 --> 00:21:56,130
With fresh arrivals, there are soon
more badgers than bins.

227
00:21:59,170 --> 00:22:02,410
It's a recipe for some rowdy
squabbling.

228
00:22:02,410 --> 00:22:04,450
BADGER GROWLS

229
00:22:40,410 --> 00:22:44,810
Over at the lodge, another gang
of gatecrashers is piling in.

230
00:22:45,890 --> 00:22:50,090
Remote cameras reveal them
making a beeline for the kitchen.

231
00:22:56,170 --> 00:22:59,090
The masters of mayhem have arrived.

232
00:23:53,890 --> 00:23:57,890
Back at the bins,
things have taken a serious turn.

233
00:23:58,810 --> 00:24:02,050
With jaws nearly twice
as strong as a lion's,

234
00:24:02,050 --> 00:24:06,210
a spotted hyena could crush
a badger with a single bite.

235
00:24:29,450 --> 00:24:31,330
BADGER SNARLS

236
00:24:33,250 --> 00:24:34,970
It's backing off.

237
00:24:45,730 --> 00:24:49,170
The cause of the hyena's
hasty retreat

238
00:24:49,170 --> 00:24:52,250
soon becomes suffocatingly apparent.

239
00:24:54,050 --> 00:24:55,490
Oh, my word.

240
00:24:55,490 --> 00:24:57,290
That's horrible.

241
00:24:58,330 --> 00:25:03,010
One of the badgers, it seems,
has deployed a concealed weapon.

242
00:25:05,250 --> 00:25:06,850
Oh, that's bad.

243
00:25:12,530 --> 00:25:16,170
Fluid ejected from the badger's
anal pouch

244
00:25:16,170 --> 00:25:19,970
can be smelt from 40m away.

245
00:25:19,970 --> 00:25:21,730
Uh, that's truly awful.

246
00:25:23,330 --> 00:25:25,850
This actually makes your eyes water.

247
00:25:25,850 --> 00:25:28,450
I've no idea how they live
with themselves.

248
00:25:39,770 --> 00:25:41,810
At the rehab centre,

249
00:25:41,810 --> 00:25:46,130
Brian Jones was soon learning
from his pet badger Stoffel

250
00:25:46,130 --> 00:25:50,930
that the animal's reputation
for bravery was no myth.

251
00:25:57,050 --> 00:25:59,050
One day, the staff call me,
"Brian, quickly!

252
00:25:59,050 --> 00:26:01,890
"Stoffel's got in
with the big lions!"

253
00:26:01,890 --> 00:26:04,770
He dug underneath
the electric fence...

254
00:26:04,770 --> 00:26:07,370
and went in to the lions
to fight them, on purpose.

255
00:26:08,530 --> 00:26:09,930
So my staff took meat

256
00:26:09,930 --> 00:26:12,970
and just chucked it over to get the
lions' attraction on the meat.

257
00:26:12,970 --> 00:26:15,890
Meantime the honey badger wouldn't
let them settle down.

258
00:26:15,890 --> 00:26:18,570
He was going for their private
parts at the back.

259
00:26:19,810 --> 00:26:23,450
And he was chasing this big male lion
around the camp - it was hilarious.

260
00:26:23,450 --> 00:26:26,770
Here he is after this big lion!
And eventually the lion

261
00:26:26,770 --> 00:26:29,770
would turn around and grab him,
but because the skin's loose

262
00:26:29,770 --> 00:26:32,610
he'd swing in his skin,
the honey badger,
and bite the lion on the face.

263
00:26:32,610 --> 00:26:34,610
So in the end the lion's
bleeding down the face,

264
00:26:34,610 --> 00:26:37,050
the honey badger walking big style -
and he won the first round.

265
00:26:37,050 --> 00:26:39,290
Ha! They were scared of him.

266
00:26:45,690 --> 00:26:47,770
In one incident in the wild,

267
00:26:47,770 --> 00:26:52,490
honey badgers are reported to have
chased seven lions from their kill.

268
00:27:02,930 --> 00:27:07,890
For Stoffel, though - fighting
alone - round two was a disaster.

269
00:27:09,850 --> 00:27:12,610
He did it again. But this time
he didn't get off so well.

270
00:27:13,810 --> 00:27:15,610
They pulverised him a bit.

271
00:27:19,930 --> 00:27:22,330
He was in hospital
two-and-a-half months.

272
00:27:26,010 --> 00:27:31,090
Though Stoffel survived,
honey badgers are not invincible.

273
00:27:31,090 --> 00:27:34,770
Despite their almost heroic courage,

274
00:27:34,770 --> 00:27:38,810
they are sometimes mauled to death
by big cats.

275
00:27:43,730 --> 00:27:47,530
After his close encounter
with badgers at the dump,

276
00:27:47,530 --> 00:27:50,690
Low is keen to get deeper
into their world.

277
00:27:50,690 --> 00:27:53,490
The whole question
of why pups hang around

278
00:27:53,490 --> 00:27:56,890
with their mothers for so long
is intriguing him.

279
00:28:02,170 --> 00:28:06,610
'Local tracker Enoch says he's
spotted a mother and baby

280
00:28:06,610 --> 00:28:10,730
'using an old termite mound as a
den, less than a mile from camp.

281
00:28:12,090 --> 00:28:14,530
'It could be the breakthrough
that Low needs.

282
00:28:16,010 --> 00:28:19,850
'Badgers can move over
20 miles a night.

283
00:28:19,850 --> 00:28:22,730
'But if there's one badger
that's likely to stay put,

284
00:28:22,730 --> 00:28:26,130
'it's a nursing mother
near a regular source of food.'

285
00:28:26,130 --> 00:28:29,570
So is this the hole where you saw
the honey badger with a pup?

286
00:28:29,570 --> 00:28:31,810
Yeah. This is the one.

287
00:28:31,810 --> 00:28:34,490
They were milling around
on top of this termite mound.

288
00:28:37,130 --> 00:28:39,010
You can see these tracks here.

289
00:28:39,010 --> 00:28:41,050
It shows
that they're still using it.

290
00:28:47,650 --> 00:28:51,290
'Low decides to put the burrow
under surveillance.

291
00:28:51,290 --> 00:28:55,890
'With a bit of luck, the mother and
pup will give him a unique window

292
00:28:55,890 --> 00:29:00,090
'into the normally hidden world
of badger parenting.'

293
00:29:06,130 --> 00:29:08,970
After Stoffel's severe
mauling by the lions,

294
00:29:08,970 --> 00:29:13,010
Brian knew that he HAD to get
his badger under control.

295
00:29:15,090 --> 00:29:17,930
His solution was a brand-new pen,

296
00:29:17,930 --> 00:29:20,170
and the introduction of Hammy,

297
00:29:20,170 --> 00:29:22,570
to help him work off steam.

298
00:29:25,490 --> 00:29:29,690
Far from settling down, though,
the canoodling couple soon proved

299
00:29:29,690 --> 00:29:34,210
that honey badgers are not just
fearless, but astonishingly clever.

300
00:29:36,690 --> 00:29:41,210
We started off with a mesh-type
fence, but it didn't work.

301
00:29:41,210 --> 00:29:43,930
Stoffel soon devised a plan
for opening up the gate,

302
00:29:43,930 --> 00:29:47,170
which has got two bolts.
He would get the female to go up.

303
00:29:49,010 --> 00:29:53,330
She would go up, open the first
gate, he'd hold the gate

304
00:29:53,330 --> 00:29:56,730
and say, "Woman, get up!
I'm pulling open, you open up."

305
00:30:02,610 --> 00:30:04,930
She goes up to the top,
pulls the second one out...

306
00:30:09,090 --> 00:30:11,210
..and then he pulls it open,

307
00:30:11,210 --> 00:30:14,250
he waits for her to get down,
and they escape together.

308
00:30:16,210 --> 00:30:18,290
The escape was no fluke.

309
00:30:19,450 --> 00:30:24,530
Considering their small size, honey
badgers have remarkably big brains.

310
00:30:25,770 --> 00:30:28,610
Their intelligence is
just beyond anything.

311
00:30:28,610 --> 00:30:31,570
Whatever Brian did to keep him IN,

312
00:30:31,570 --> 00:30:34,770
Stoffel was hell bent
on getting OUT.

313
00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:43,730
In the end - and at great expense -
Brian had no choice

314
00:30:43,730 --> 00:30:46,890
but to build his own
"Badger Alcatraz".

315
00:30:51,650 --> 00:30:55,210
I said, "Stoffel, the days
of your escape are over, buddy."

316
00:30:59,890 --> 00:31:01,530
That night they called me.

317
00:31:01,530 --> 00:31:03,970
"Brian, Stoffel's OUT!"
I said, "It's impossible!"

318
00:31:03,970 --> 00:31:05,490
But we had trees in here.

319
00:31:05,490 --> 00:31:08,850
And he'd climb up the trees and lean
over onto the wall and he was out.

320
00:31:08,850 --> 00:31:11,690
So we cut all the branches
out of the trees in here,

321
00:31:11,690 --> 00:31:13,490
and left the trees in the middle.

322
00:31:16,570 --> 00:31:18,970
Then he dug up the rocks and
he'd roll them

323
00:31:18,970 --> 00:31:23,050
with his back feet to the wall, until
he'd piled them up high enough.

324
00:31:24,770 --> 00:31:27,530
And then he'd get out -
so we took all the rocks away.

325
00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:32,210
This was like a game for Stoffel.

326
00:31:32,210 --> 00:31:35,130
Every time I devised some plan,
it was like a game for him

327
00:31:35,130 --> 00:31:37,130
to work out
how could he get over this.

328
00:31:43,570 --> 00:31:45,210
SMASH!

329
00:31:45,210 --> 00:31:48,250
One o'clock in the morning,
my wife me, "Brian! Brian!

330
00:31:48,250 --> 00:31:49,770
"someone's in the house."

331
00:31:49,770 --> 00:31:51,810
She said, "I heard a window break."

332
00:31:51,810 --> 00:31:52,930
So we freeze.

333
00:31:55,170 --> 00:31:56,970
Oh, my! Expecting burglars!

334
00:31:56,970 --> 00:32:00,130
Stoffel had my bedroom door, trying
to get through my bedroom door!

335
00:32:01,650 --> 00:32:05,090
He made himself a mud ball,
and he pats it to make it bigger!

336
00:32:05,090 --> 00:32:07,770
and he rolled it,
and he got up like that.

337
00:32:10,970 --> 00:32:14,250
People have said, "Did you train it?"
I said, "Train it?! Not at all!"

338
00:32:14,250 --> 00:32:17,170
He'd outwit us each time,
with HIS schemes.

339
00:32:26,330 --> 00:32:28,650
Stoffel!

340
00:32:31,810 --> 00:32:36,170
I remember one day, keeper left
a rake in Stoffel's enclosure.

341
00:32:36,170 --> 00:32:39,210
He scratched himself,
lies on his side. Now he's thinking.

342
00:32:39,210 --> 00:32:40,330
Computer's working.

343
00:32:46,210 --> 00:32:48,250
Take the rake,
put it on his back,

344
00:32:48,250 --> 00:32:49,570
put it against the wall...

345
00:32:52,850 --> 00:32:55,290
..climb out, and off he goes.

346
00:32:55,290 --> 00:32:56,650
Stoffel!

347
00:32:56,650 --> 00:32:59,530
I mean, you won't believe
these stories.

348
00:33:02,810 --> 00:33:06,210
You think it's a hoax.
It's not a hoax. That is Stoffel.

349
00:33:14,370 --> 00:33:19,530
On the outskirts of Kruger National
Park, Low has a badger's den

350
00:33:19,530 --> 00:33:21,050
under surveillance.

351
00:33:23,930 --> 00:33:26,570
The photos from the first night,
however,

352
00:33:26,570 --> 00:33:28,730
reveal an unexpected visitor.

353
00:33:30,210 --> 00:33:33,050
Leopard on the camera trap,
at 20 to six.

354
00:33:33,050 --> 00:33:36,610
20 to six - that's ten minutes
after I placed the trap out.

355
00:33:36,610 --> 00:33:38,930
It's not a good sign.

356
00:33:38,930 --> 00:33:44,050
Leopards are one of the very few
animals known to kill honey badgers.

357
00:33:44,050 --> 00:33:47,050
Unfortunately there are
no honey badgers on these shots,

358
00:33:47,050 --> 00:33:49,370
which is...kind of strange.

359
00:33:49,370 --> 00:33:51,290
I saw the tracks there
with my own eyes.

360
00:33:51,290 --> 00:33:54,370
Enoch said those tracks
were relatively fresh.

361
00:33:54,370 --> 00:33:55,410
Either this was never a den

362
00:33:55,410 --> 00:33:57,570
and the honey badgers just
kind of came through,

363
00:33:57,570 --> 00:33:59,530
or the mother felt threatened

364
00:33:59,530 --> 00:34:02,810
by the presence of the leopard there
and decided to move the pup.

365
00:34:02,810 --> 00:34:06,970
Perhaps the average WILD
honey badger is smart enough

366
00:34:06,970 --> 00:34:08,370
to know its limits.

367
00:34:09,770 --> 00:34:13,570
The mother's vanishing act
leaves Low back at square one.

368
00:34:15,770 --> 00:34:18,490
Over at the rehab centre,

369
00:34:18,490 --> 00:34:22,410
beekeeper Guy Stubbs is finally
ready to pit his wits against

370
00:34:22,410 --> 00:34:28,090
Stoffel and Hammy, with what he
hopes is a badger-proof hive stand.

371
00:34:32,170 --> 00:34:34,290
The important thing is to make sure

372
00:34:34,290 --> 00:34:36,450
that you leave nothing lying around

373
00:34:36,450 --> 00:34:39,570
that Stoffel can use as a tool
to climb onto the stand.

374
00:34:40,890 --> 00:34:43,530
With room for up to ten hives,

375
00:34:43,530 --> 00:34:46,570
Guy's raised metal cage
is quick to assemble.

376
00:34:47,850 --> 00:34:50,450
If it works, it'll help keep
the peace

377
00:34:50,450 --> 00:34:52,450
between beekeepers and badgers.

378
00:34:56,130 --> 00:34:58,410
OK. I think everything's ready now.

379
00:34:58,410 --> 00:35:01,010
Jan, won't you release
the badgers, please?

380
00:35:04,850 --> 00:35:06,930
I feel that we've got a good chance.

381
00:35:12,970 --> 00:35:14,810
I don't think they can get up here.

382
00:35:27,410 --> 00:35:30,770
There's Stoffel trying.
Look at that.

383
00:35:30,770 --> 00:35:33,290
Looks a bit like a sloth.

384
00:35:37,530 --> 00:35:40,410
He's feeling for a little hole
or a grip,

385
00:35:40,410 --> 00:35:43,770
like he did with the tree,
but, er, he's not finding one.

386
00:35:43,770 --> 00:35:45,690
They're too slippery.

387
00:35:49,570 --> 00:35:51,370
This is how we stop them getting in.

388
00:36:14,210 --> 00:36:17,170
Hammy has been watching
from the sidelines,

389
00:36:17,170 --> 00:36:19,210
and with Stoffel flagging...

390
00:36:21,850 --> 00:36:23,330
..SHE moves in.

391
00:36:35,090 --> 00:36:38,730
Can you see? Can you see her claws?

392
00:36:40,050 --> 00:36:42,170
She seems to be getting a grip!

393
00:36:44,290 --> 00:36:46,850
Oh, this is terrible!

394
00:36:49,450 --> 00:36:50,930
No!

395
00:36:52,730 --> 00:36:54,130
Oh, no, man!

396
00:36:58,690 --> 00:37:02,490
And there, she's got it!
She's got onto the hive!

397
00:37:02,490 --> 00:37:04,690
Can you believe it?

398
00:37:17,330 --> 00:37:19,730
She's actually pushed her
way through,

399
00:37:19,730 --> 00:37:21,370
and got to the honey that way.

400
00:37:24,650 --> 00:37:26,410
That's her technique now.

401
00:37:26,410 --> 00:37:28,490
She's pushing
the hives all over the place,

402
00:37:28,490 --> 00:37:30,090
and now she's blocked my view.

403
00:37:32,450 --> 00:37:34,570
Well, this is unfortunately
not even Stoffel.

404
00:37:34,570 --> 00:37:37,730
It's even MORE embarrassing.

405
00:37:37,730 --> 00:37:40,330
It's round one to Hammy.

406
00:37:40,330 --> 00:37:43,850
And back to the drawing board
for Guy.

407
00:37:48,370 --> 00:37:53,250
I've tried everything. I've got
a lot of respect for honey badgers.

408
00:37:57,730 --> 00:38:02,570
Out in the bush, another day is
drawing to a close.

409
00:38:05,050 --> 00:38:08,290
And the night shift is
beginning to stir.

410
00:38:30,890 --> 00:38:34,890
For three weeks,
Low and his field assistant, Becky,

411
00:38:34,890 --> 00:38:37,530
have been searching for badgers
beyond the camp -

412
00:38:37,530 --> 00:38:39,490
without success.

413
00:38:47,490 --> 00:38:50,130
But they're about to get lucky.

414
00:39:00,090 --> 00:39:02,810
CLUNKING

415
00:39:02,810 --> 00:39:04,330
BECKY: Where is he?

416
00:39:09,850 --> 00:39:13,890
They've staked out a spot with fresh
signs of badger activity,

417
00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:15,410
and it's paid off.

418
00:39:15,410 --> 00:39:19,810
Two badgers - a mother
and a large male pup -

419
00:39:19,810 --> 00:39:22,410
have returned to dig up more food.

420
00:39:25,250 --> 00:39:29,010
Most likely, they're after
beetle grubs and scorpions.

421
00:40:01,850 --> 00:40:06,330
The two badgers are soon joined
by a THIRD.

422
00:40:06,330 --> 00:40:08,650
It's a huge male -

423
00:40:08,650 --> 00:40:11,170
and he's not interested in dinner.

424
00:40:15,250 --> 00:40:19,210
He seems to sense that the female is
ready to mate again,

425
00:40:19,210 --> 00:40:22,570
after nearly two years
of single parenting.

426
00:40:38,290 --> 00:40:41,650
When a mother starts
to entertain suitors,

427
00:40:41,650 --> 00:40:45,810
it's the cue for her pup to move on
and strike out on its own.

428
00:40:46,930 --> 00:40:49,970
This is potentially
a big night for him.

429
00:40:52,010 --> 00:40:56,250
For Low and Becky,
it's a rare and unexpected chance

430
00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:59,090
to observe courtship,
honey badger-style.

431
00:41:00,650 --> 00:41:02,370
Did he SIT on her?!

432
00:41:06,210 --> 00:41:08,290
THEY LAUGH

433
00:41:18,650 --> 00:41:20,010
LOW GASPS

434
00:41:20,010 --> 00:41:22,890
It's actually dragging her!

435
00:41:24,690 --> 00:41:26,530
GROWLING

436
00:41:27,770 --> 00:41:29,770
YELPING

437
00:41:42,610 --> 00:41:45,370
LOUD YELPING

438
00:41:53,050 --> 00:41:55,810
Oh! He's biting hard.

439
00:42:07,170 --> 00:42:09,490
That really looks painful.

440
00:42:13,290 --> 00:42:15,530
THEY LAUGH

441
00:42:19,570 --> 00:42:23,810
Are they IN a hole?! Yes.
It's lovely, isn't it?

442
00:42:23,810 --> 00:42:25,610
It's a badger love nest.

443
00:42:29,610 --> 00:42:32,570
It's incredible that they'd do this
so close to the car.

444
00:42:36,530 --> 00:42:38,450
They really just don't care.

445
00:42:38,450 --> 00:42:40,170
No, not even slightly.

446
00:42:41,410 --> 00:42:43,370
Taking the hint, perhaps,

447
00:42:43,370 --> 00:42:46,050
the younger male moves off
to feed elsewhere...

448
00:42:49,410 --> 00:42:51,570
..leaving the lovers to themselves.

449
00:43:04,650 --> 00:43:07,090
But the newly independent badger

450
00:43:07,090 --> 00:43:10,530
could hardly have picked
a worse night to go solo.

451
00:43:12,570 --> 00:43:15,370
He's dangerously isolated,

452
00:43:15,370 --> 00:43:19,890
and his mother is too wrapped up to
notice that the old enemy is back.

453
00:43:30,010 --> 00:43:32,890
This time,
the hyenas have turned up in force -

454
00:43:32,890 --> 00:43:35,730
and the young male is
out in the open.

455
00:43:38,570 --> 00:43:41,250
Whatever food the badgers
have sniffed out,

456
00:43:41,250 --> 00:43:44,170
the hyenas now want to claim
for themselves.

457
00:43:48,730 --> 00:43:51,570
Retreat would seem
the sensible option here.

458
00:44:04,530 --> 00:44:08,570
Incredibly, though,
the young male stands his ground,

459
00:44:08,570 --> 00:44:11,690
as if daring the hyena to attack.

460
00:44:11,690 --> 00:44:12,730
GROWLING

461
00:44:14,130 --> 00:44:17,770
Meanwhile, the big male
has at last cottoned on...

462
00:44:19,490 --> 00:44:22,570
..and immediately squares up
for a fight.

463
00:44:26,010 --> 00:44:29,130
Mother seems happy to let
the boys sort it out.

464
00:44:29,130 --> 00:44:31,290
SNARLING AND WHIMPERING

465
00:44:36,050 --> 00:44:39,290
(Listen to that!
You see, they're not backing off.)

466
00:44:45,410 --> 00:44:48,050
The four hyenas are determined
to muscle in,

467
00:44:48,050 --> 00:44:50,130
but the outnumbered badgers

468
00:44:50,130 --> 00:44:53,530
are equally determined
to force them back.

469
00:45:03,490 --> 00:45:05,770
GROWLING
Look at that!

470
00:45:11,410 --> 00:45:13,850
HYENAS LAUGH

471
00:45:16,090 --> 00:45:18,690
If honey badgers are just bluffers,

472
00:45:18,690 --> 00:45:22,330
then they're the bravest act
in the African bush.

473
00:45:24,770 --> 00:45:27,330
Some would say
they're also the smartest.

474
00:45:30,450 --> 00:45:33,730
Having been outwitted by Stoffel
countless times,

475
00:45:33,730 --> 00:45:36,370
Brian isn't taking any more chances.

476
00:45:39,650 --> 00:45:41,850
If an 8,000-volt electric fence

477
00:45:41,850 --> 00:45:44,490
doesn't stop
the little mastermind...

478
00:45:46,330 --> 00:45:47,770
..he doesn't know what will.

479
00:45:53,690 --> 00:45:56,090
It's for everyone's benefit...

480
00:46:00,570 --> 00:46:02,810
..including Brian's.

481
00:46:02,810 --> 00:46:06,650
I've tried to make peace with him
but he just wants to kill me!

482
00:46:06,650 --> 00:46:10,730
Whenever he hears my voice,
his tail's up, ready for attack.

483
00:46:20,810 --> 00:46:23,530
Hello, Stoffel. Hello, my baby.

484
00:46:26,570 --> 00:46:29,210
Yes, my buddy. Oh, Stoffel!

485
00:46:29,210 --> 00:46:32,410
SNARLING
Stoffel! Don't you forgive me?

486
00:46:32,410 --> 00:46:37,010
Yeah, Stoffel, you're worse than
a woman - you just don't forget.

487
00:46:39,170 --> 00:46:42,410
Has Stoffel finally been contained,

488
00:46:42,410 --> 00:46:45,450
or has Brian merely set the stage

489
00:46:45,450 --> 00:46:48,690
for an even more ingenious escape?

490
00:46:52,650 --> 00:46:55,090
Aside from keeping Stoffel
out of trouble,

491
00:46:55,090 --> 00:46:59,810
the business of saving WILD badgers
is keeping Brian as busy as ever.

492
00:47:03,090 --> 00:47:06,890
Three more animals trapped
by farmers have now been patched up,

493
00:47:06,890 --> 00:47:08,530
and are ready for release.

494
00:47:11,050 --> 00:47:11,090
Brian can only hope
that the badgers don't go

495
00:47:11,090 --> 00:47:13,890
and create havoc for someone else.

496
00:47:34,250 --> 00:47:36,410
He's looking to see
if we're following him.

497
00:47:37,850 --> 00:47:40,490
And he's got the cheek to growl
on the way!

498
00:47:40,490 --> 00:47:41,930
Och, you lovely thing.

499
00:47:42,970 --> 00:47:45,770
One gone, two more to launch.

500
00:47:47,810 --> 00:47:49,770
LOUD SNARLING

501
00:47:58,130 --> 00:48:02,410
Brian knows that these badgers
won't be the last he saves.

502
00:48:02,410 --> 00:48:04,890
But he'll keep doing
whatever it takes

503
00:48:04,890 --> 00:48:07,930
to give these relentless
little warriors a chance.

504
00:48:13,210 --> 00:48:16,770
The honey badger to me is so brave
and so courageous and so determined

505
00:48:16,770 --> 00:48:18,490
that you can't help but love him.

506
00:48:24,170 --> 00:48:26,210
'He's really got a place
in my heart.'

507
00:48:41,650 --> 00:48:43,850
After a month at the safari lodge

508
00:48:43,850 --> 00:48:47,850
trying to track honey badgers
in the wild, Low is stumped.

509
00:48:49,130 --> 00:48:52,690
He's seen for himself that the honey
badger's reputation for courage

510
00:48:52,690 --> 00:48:56,250
and ferocity isn't just hype.

511
00:48:56,250 --> 00:48:58,290
Yet as a scientist, he's still has

512
00:48:58,290 --> 00:49:00,530
so many questions
he wants to answer.

513
00:49:00,530 --> 00:49:03,330
It's actually quite frustrating
at the moment.

514
00:49:03,330 --> 00:49:06,130
I see these animals literally
every single night.

515
00:49:12,130 --> 00:49:14,850
They come in,
and cause chaos inside camp.

516
00:49:16,970 --> 00:49:19,210
As soon as morning hits,
they just disappear.

517
00:49:21,450 --> 00:49:24,250
Their fearlessness, it seems,

518
00:49:24,250 --> 00:49:27,050
is backed up
by a more subtle quality -

519
00:49:27,050 --> 00:49:31,610
a quality that enables it to get
just what it wants,

520
00:49:31,610 --> 00:49:33,650
and then vanish.

521
00:49:37,050 --> 00:49:42,290
Perhaps intelligence is what really
gives the honey badger its edge.

522
00:49:44,210 --> 00:49:47,890
Its brain might even be bigger
than its bite.

523
00:49:53,130 --> 00:49:57,610
Honey badgers may have been regular
visitors at the safari lodge,

524
00:49:57,610 --> 00:50:00,650
but filming them
was far from straightforward.

525
00:50:03,490 --> 00:50:06,330
For the crew,
alarm bells should have rung

526
00:50:06,330 --> 00:50:09,610
when they were asked to pick up
a new fridge on their way in.

527
00:50:11,850 --> 00:50:15,290
Alas, not all of the delicate
equipment being unloaded

528
00:50:15,290 --> 00:50:17,290
will be going home in one piece.

529
00:50:21,170 --> 00:50:24,410
Having dropped off the fridge,
cameraman Robin Cox

530
00:50:24,410 --> 00:50:27,930
and assistant producer Will Benson
get straight to work

531
00:50:27,930 --> 00:50:30,050
rigging cameras and infrared lights.

532
00:50:30,050 --> 00:50:33,290
So we'll put one GoPro here,
looking at the gate.

533
00:50:33,290 --> 00:50:35,330
Do you think the 30-degree
round the corner

534
00:50:35,330 --> 00:50:38,010
needs some frosts on it, or...?
Yeah. OK.

535
00:50:39,850 --> 00:50:44,890
The outdoor kitchen is frequently
ransacked by badgers.

536
00:50:44,890 --> 00:50:47,170
Maintenance manager Alfred
points out

537
00:50:47,170 --> 00:50:49,530
where the thieves have
been breaking in.

538
00:50:49,530 --> 00:50:51,090
Check! That's claw marks! Yeah.

539
00:50:51,090 --> 00:50:53,170
I mean, it looks
like it's been cut with a saw.

540
00:50:53,170 --> 00:50:55,810
So its claws must be
incredibly sharp.

541
00:50:55,810 --> 00:50:57,930
It's just literally sliced.

542
00:50:57,930 --> 00:50:59,570
SHE LAUGHS

543
00:51:02,210 --> 00:51:03,730
Do you like the honey badger?

544
00:51:12,970 --> 00:51:14,610
Fridge-cam,

545
00:51:14,610 --> 00:51:17,850
which hopefully will capture
the badgers as they break in.

546
00:51:19,250 --> 00:51:22,090
Anna, do you think
she's going to damage the fridge?

547
00:51:28,210 --> 00:51:31,450
So this GoPro's going to look
at the gate.

548
00:51:31,450 --> 00:51:33,690
This one gives us our main view
of the room.

549
00:51:39,570 --> 00:51:42,850
With lights plugged in
and cameras set...

550
00:51:45,250 --> 00:51:48,730
..there's just one last
piece of kit to put in place.

551
00:51:49,930 --> 00:51:53,370
So, um, we have one of these, Will.

552
00:51:53,370 --> 00:51:55,210
I think really you ought to wear this

553
00:51:55,210 --> 00:51:57,250
cos you haven't got
any kids and I have.

554
00:51:57,250 --> 00:51:59,050
My legs are shorter than yours.

555
00:51:59,050 --> 00:52:02,090
It's a shorter reach
for a honey badger to take a swipe.

556
00:52:02,090 --> 00:52:05,290
I haven't worn one of these
since school.

557
00:52:08,410 --> 00:52:11,650
Robin is left on his own
to wait quietly

558
00:52:14,090 --> 00:52:16,170
If recent form is any guide,

559
00:52:16,170 --> 00:52:18,970
it won't be long before the badgers
are in the kitchen.

560
00:52:23,650 --> 00:52:25,810
'Robin! They're in the lounge!'

561
00:52:31,970 --> 00:52:33,290
You're joking.

562
00:52:39,490 --> 00:52:43,250
The surprise raid on the lounge
leaves Robin sidelined,

563
00:52:43,250 --> 00:52:45,490
and the rest of the crew scrambling

564
00:52:45,490 --> 00:52:49,050
to film what they can
with the spare camera.

565
00:52:53,730 --> 00:52:55,330
Is Will there?

566
00:52:59,730 --> 00:53:02,370
The team have been outflanked,

567
00:53:02,370 --> 00:53:05,130
and things are about to get worse.

568
00:53:08,530 --> 00:53:11,810
I've had a time-lapse camera running
out on the embers of the fire

569
00:53:11,810 --> 00:53:12,810
on the boma down there.

570
00:53:12,810 --> 00:53:16,450
They decided to just chew
straight through the wire.

571
00:53:17,730 --> 00:53:20,130
Sheared straight off.

572
00:53:20,130 --> 00:53:22,370
Adding insult to injury,

573
00:53:22,370 --> 00:53:25,090
one of the badgers films itself,

574
00:53:25,090 --> 00:53:27,330
vandalising the spare camera.

575
00:53:34,570 --> 00:53:38,850
Have the film crew, perhaps,
bitten off more than they can chew?

576
00:53:42,450 --> 00:53:44,650
In the morning,
Robin and the camp staff

577
00:53:44,650 --> 00:53:46,850
review the footage from the lounge.

578
00:53:48,690 --> 00:53:52,010
Oh! You see that thing!

579
00:53:52,010 --> 00:53:55,650
For a cameraman,
it doesn't make happy viewing.

580
00:53:55,650 --> 00:53:57,530
Came and found the camera.

581
00:53:59,250 --> 00:54:00,530
Ah! Yeah! Oh!

582
00:54:00,530 --> 00:54:02,410
Microphone.

583
00:54:02,410 --> 00:54:04,010
He take, he put it there.

584
00:54:06,010 --> 00:54:10,090
One severed camera cable,
and a mangled microphone cover...

585
00:54:12,130 --> 00:54:14,130
But on the plus side,

586
00:54:14,130 --> 00:54:18,010
the team has its first close-up
of a wild honey badger.

587
00:54:35,490 --> 00:54:39,970
Night two, and the team
are staking out the rubbish dump.

588
00:54:39,970 --> 00:54:44,810
There are plenty of leftovers here
to tempt the badgers.

589
00:54:52,370 --> 00:54:53,770
Before he knows it,

590
00:54:53,770 --> 00:54:58,850
Robin has badgers in his sights, and
he's finally rolling on some action.

591
00:55:03,490 --> 00:55:07,610
But the badgers don't seem
to like being in the spotlight.

592
00:55:11,330 --> 00:55:12,370
What's going on?

593
00:55:16,650 --> 00:55:20,010
(Look, the badgers have just knocked
the light over.

594
00:55:21,490 --> 00:55:23,650
(Both their tails are up.

595
00:55:23,650 --> 00:55:26,330
(They're obviously really excited
smashing up our kit!)

596
00:55:27,850 --> 00:55:30,730
They're having a whale of a time,
at our expense.

597
00:55:35,010 --> 00:55:37,250
As soon as the hooligans clear off,

598
00:55:37,250 --> 00:55:40,770
Robin and Will venture out
to assess the damage.

599
00:55:46,490 --> 00:55:48,210
Right, let's call it a night. Yeah.

600
00:55:50,730 --> 00:55:53,490
It's been a rough night
for the lights,

601
00:55:53,490 --> 00:55:56,410
and there's more bad news to come.

602
00:55:56,410 --> 00:55:59,290
I've just found one of our infrared
GoPros in pieces,

603
00:55:59,290 --> 00:56:01,850
strewn over about 5m. You're joking.

604
00:56:01,850 --> 00:56:03,930
They've given it
a right going-over.

605
00:56:03,930 --> 00:56:06,130
I mean, it's seriously tough plastic,
this.

606
00:56:06,130 --> 00:56:08,010
I don't think that's going
to work again.

607
00:56:08,010 --> 00:56:09,930
Tooth's gone right in there,

608
00:56:09,930 --> 00:56:11,370
and another one at the top.

609
00:56:11,370 --> 00:56:12,770
Number two GoPro down.

610
00:56:16,730 --> 00:56:18,970
It'll be days before Robin gets

611
00:56:18,970 --> 00:56:22,330
the spare parts he needs
to fix the lights.

612
00:56:22,330 --> 00:56:25,170
They just seem to be out
to wreck our gear at the moment.

613
00:56:26,730 --> 00:56:30,250
And it looks like Will might need
a sewing kit.

614
00:56:30,250 --> 00:56:33,770
They've chewed a massive great hole
in the side of our filming hide.

615
00:56:33,770 --> 00:56:37,250
I think, er, honey badgers
just like destroying stuff.

616
00:56:40,210 --> 00:56:42,290
To add to the crew's problems,

617
00:56:42,290 --> 00:56:46,490
15 noisy tourists are now descending
on the lodge.

618
00:56:46,490 --> 00:56:50,970
It's been hard enough trying to film
badgers when it's quiet.

619
00:56:54,890 --> 00:56:57,090
And on night three,

620
00:56:57,090 --> 00:57:01,570
hopes that the visitors might
turn in early are going up in smoke.

621
00:57:01,570 --> 00:57:04,570
It's coming up to ten o'clock now.

622
00:57:04,570 --> 00:57:07,010
There's still quite
a lot of activity around the camp.

623
00:57:07,010 --> 00:57:10,250
Guests are still up, having drinks
and talking round the fire.

624
00:57:11,290 --> 00:57:13,330
There's no sign of them
disappearing off to bed.

625
00:57:13,330 --> 00:57:16,370
CHATTING AND LAUGHTER

626
00:57:22,850 --> 00:57:25,090
But ignoring all the noise,

627
00:57:25,090 --> 00:57:28,770
the badgers are once again going
to teach the film crew a lesson.

628
00:57:33,770 --> 00:57:37,930
Never mind the party,
there's a pork chop to be pinched!

629
00:57:37,930 --> 00:57:39,610
Look, look! Look, look, look!

630
00:57:39,610 --> 00:57:44,010
In plain sight of the guests, the
brazen badgers help themselves...

631
00:57:48,050 --> 00:57:52,530
..and leave the film crew wondering
if their whole tip-toeing approach

632
00:57:52,530 --> 00:57:54,970
has been utterly pointless.

633
00:57:54,970 --> 00:57:57,410
These guys really don't care.

634
00:57:57,410 --> 00:58:00,010
They don't mind if we're talking,
making a lot of noise,

635
00:58:00,010 --> 00:58:02,970
banging about...
These guys really aren't bothered.

636
00:58:04,090 --> 00:58:07,930
For once the badgers lay off
the cameras,

637
00:58:07,930 --> 00:58:11,530
and stick to the business
of looting.

638
00:58:15,650 --> 00:58:19,130
But tonight
they're not just nicking food.

639
00:58:19,130 --> 00:58:22,210
They're also stealing a few hearts.

640
00:58:24,410 --> 00:58:29,050
It's cute. I love the honey badger.