MANA POOLS RESEARCH  

Extracts from an article by K Begg, published in Endangered Wildlife (1995) 

Journal of the Endangered Wildlife Trust

 The Honey Badgers of the Mana Pools National Park

The Honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is best known for its aggressive nature, tenacity and sheer courage. Over the past century a wealth of anecdotal accounts have appeared about this species, particularly concerning its alleged mutualistic relationship with the Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator). Great feats had been described earlier in the century of badgers killing game as large as Buffalo and Wildebeest by the process of emasculation. More recently records have appeared of badgers attacking vehicles, surviving being run over by trucks and being shot at. They are known to feed on a wide variety of prey, ranging from crocodiles, pythons, cobras and young antelope to rodents, scorpions, dung beetle larvae and honey. Badgers are also fond of scavenging from carcasses and a number of records describe disputes with lion, and even leopard over their kills.

The Mana Pools National Park, situated in the Zambezi valley in Northern Zimbabwe, has long been associated with nightly raids by opportunistic badgers on unsuspecting visitors. It is not uncommon for a persistent "Ratel" to tear into a tent and drag the contents of a camp fridge outside (despite harsh protest from the former owner) and distribute this amongst the other awaiting scavengers.

In October 1994 a five-month pilot study was initiated in Mana Pools to determine effective field techniques, and to learn something about the abundance, distribution and movements of badgers in this area. The requirements for a longer-term study were realised. The badgers known to frequent the Mana Pools camps provided a convenient starting point for the study and three males were promptly caught, two fitted with conventional radio collars and the other with an internal transmitter, implanted into the abdominal cavity. In keeping with their reputation the badgers made short work of the collars and within ten days had effectively damaged the aerials contained within the collar. In contrast, the implanted transmitter was of no apparent concern to the recipient. Throughout the pilot study far more males than females were observed.

During November 1994 the first attempts were made to follow the marked badger on foot, and learn to overcome the inherent problems of working at night in Mana Pools with its high densities of large game. The dry season conditions proved optimal for tracking the badger's movements at night and a number of Ant bear (Orycteropus afer) holes were found to be used as daytime refuges. Radio contact with the marked male was maintained for up to 13,5 hours at a spell and on occasions the distances moved exceeded 20 km per night. In some instances, after foraging in a particular area for most of the night the badger would suddenly move off in a determined, unidirectional manner, ignoring previously used refuges. Up to 9 km could be covered and on these occasions when contact was maintained, it often resulted in the badger meeting with other individuals. The badger was recorded moving over a range of 100km² , although in reality the area being used by this male was considerably larger.  

Within the first week of tracking some most unexpected behaviour was witnessed.  During the early mornings the marked badger would frequently move from the open riparian woodland that characterise Mana Pools, into the surrounding dense "Jesse" bush. Here the badger was observed meeting up with five other adult sized badgers. No aggression towards the  individuals concerned was recorded and the entire time a wide range of grunts, hisses, squeaks and whines were uttered while the badgers rolled in the sand sniffing each other and scent marking. On another occasion three of the four badgers involved in this type of behaviour were identified as males. Such gatherings could last over 18 minutes and it is strongly suspected that the individuals spent the day together in the same hole. 

By early December the rainy season transformed most of the study area into an expanse of tall grass interspersed with numerous wetlands and channels. Due to access difficulties the Mana Pools campsites are closed to the public from November to March, but the badger population remained in the area until December. Radio tracking was largely unsuccessful for the ensuing two months because of badgers foraging in the thicker bush and restricted visibility.