Honey badger takes on pride of lions and holds them off for 30 minutes

This is the moment one of the bravest animals in Africa showed why it has so much respect – as it battled a whole pride of lions.

The plucky honey badger was caught out in the open in the Kwando Concession Park, Botswana, and unluckily became the target for a group of lions. Stranded and weighing just 20lbs the badger decided to fight back against at least four young lions each 15 times its size.

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Surrounded: A pride of young lions circle the honey badger which, rather than running in the opposite direction, chooses to stand and confront its giant predators out in the open at the Kwando Concession Park

The honey badger’s tough hide and surprising strength and ferocity made it a tricky customer for the lions who struggled to deliver the killer bite. Incredibly the pint-sized battler managed to resist the massive predators’ attack for more than 30 minutes. Wildlife photographer James Haskins watched as the badger kept the lions at bay and eventually had to leave the scene still seeing the badger fighting back.

He said: ‘A scene like this is extremely rare to witness, the lions – all young lions by the way – tried their best to kill the young honey badger. It was probably their first time to try out their hunting skills on this animal and try as they might, they could not deliver a killer blow.

Refusing to go down quietly, the honey badger does its best to evade the grip of an attacking lion

Last stand: One of the lions eventually manages to clamp its jaws around the tiny frame of the honey badger. But because of its tough hide the animal continues to put up a fight

‘The honey badgers skin is so though that the ions could not suffocate it or pull it apart – something lions certainly don’t struggle with other less tenacious victims. Half an hour passed with the lions biting, chewing, clawing at the badger – but still the young honey badger just kept growling and fighting. We left the scene with the lions still passing around the badger between them – none of them knowing what to do to kill the animal.’

Honey badgers are found all over Africa and India and are known for their intelligence and ferocious attitude even when confronted by animals much bigger than them – with documented fights with lions, hyenas and even rhinos.

Against all odds: The brave honey badger does its best to wriggle free from the lion’s grip in a fight lasting more than 30 minutes

Honey badgers are found all over Africa and India and are known for their intelligence and ferocious attitude even to animals much bigger than them – with documented fights with lions, hyenas and even rhinos

It is a mustelid and bears some similar characteristics to both a badger and the much smaller weasel. In popular culture throughout Africa, the animal – also known as a Ratel – is known for its fighting nature and the South African military have a vehicle named after it

One famous South African honey badger named Stoffel was made famous in the BBC2 documentary Honey Badgers: Masters of Mayhem aired on Good Friday this year. Stoffel repeatedly outfoxed his keepers escaping from his enclosure and even breaking into his owner’s house to raid the fridge.

Video: Brave Honey Badger takes on pride of LIONS and holds them off for 30 minutes