Anyone using the internet since 2011 likely knows about the “honey badgers don’t care” meme (or the other non-G-rated version). But what if we told you that’s not the only cool thing about these creatures? It turns out that the meme as mentioned above failed to relate just how incredibly intelligent honey badgers are. Brian Jones, a wildlife conservationist at the Kruger National Park in South Africa, learned this fact firsthand when he rescued a honey badger named Stoffel from a trap some 20 years ago. You see, any time Brian tries to put this rescued honey badger in any type of cage or enclosure, the rascally critter finds a way to bust right out!
Twenty years ago, Jones, rescued Stoffel from a trap. And while Stoffel may look like a lump-headed rodent, history has proven this honey badger to be perhaps one of the smartest non-humans on the planet! And that’s not an overstatement. You see, in his early years, Stoffel was what you might call a “loose cannon,” a real rebel badger who really didn’t care to play by Jones’ rules. Unfortunately, Stoffel’s mischief one day got him mauled by a few lions living in the conservation. That’s when Brian knew he was going to have to make a few adjustments to the badger’s free-roaming lifestyle.
Screengrab via YouTube
Brian even played matchmaker and set the freewheeling badger up with a mate named Hammy, in hopes he would settle down a bit. Jones thought maybe the pairing would put a bit of Stoffel’s energy into more “constructive” use. Jones figured this would keep the honey badger out of trouble. But boy was he ever wrong!
Screengrab via YouTube
The gate on Stoffel and Hammy’s new pen was pretty straightforward. It had two sliding mechanisms: one at the base of the swinging, chain-link gate, and the other toward the top of it. One would think this would be tricky enough to foil any enterprising honey badger right?
Screengrab via YouTube
However, Stoffel and Hammy’s love was not to be contained. And once the gate was shut, the two worked together to escape. First, Stoffel would reach out and simply unlatch the bottom bolt. Once he did this, Hammy would climb up and undo the top latch, which by-the-way was reinforced with hard wire.
Screengrab via YouTube
Their daring escape would have made Harry Houdini proud! Once Hammy was down off the fence, Stoffel would simply open the gate, and the two would stroll out as casually as you please. Incredibly, this wasn’t even their most daring escape. The pair were capable of much, much more.
Screengrab via YouTube
“Their intelligence is just beyond anything,” Brian told the BBC. “People have said, ‘Did you train it?’ Train it? Not at all. Didn’t even think of it. He outwitted us.” Now that’s some high praise for a badger, but after seeing Stoffel’s second escape, you won’t doubt it.
The two badgers would go on to escape their cage regularly. That’s when Jones decided to build what he coined the “Honey Badger Alcatraz.” It was a walled enclosure, that would, in theory, prove inescapable for his escape artists. Well, theories are nice, but remember, honey badgers don’t care, right? And so began the second act in Stoffel’s great escape show.
Screengrab via YouTube
We should first note, just how resourceful honey badgers are. They are one of the few animals on the planet who can make use of tools in addition to manipulating mechanisms such as locks with their sharp claws. Honey badgers have earned their nickname “honey” because of their propensity to go after that golden sweet stuff, which you know, are usually way up in the trees surrounded by angry bees. In other words, getting to their sweet reward is usually no easy task, that is unless you are a honey badger!
Screengrab via YouTube
In fact, honey badgers can climb trees as easily as a cat. And nothing gets between a honey badger and their honey, not even a few hundred angry bees. Here’s a video of Stoffel conquering a contraption Jones put up to protect a beehive.
So it should come as no surprise that Stoffel quickly took to Jone’s new challenge with relish. At first, there were trees in the enclosure, so the badgers would climb them and then bend the limbs to jump on, then over the wall. He would even employ loose tree branches and use them in the corner as a makeshift ladder, to escape.
Screengrab via YouTube
Tired of being outwitted, Jones decided to remove all the branches and climbable trees. Problem solved, right? Come on folks, you should know better by now…
Screengrab via YouTube
The ingenious little badger would pile up rocks and use them to climb over. When Jones removed the rocks, he would roll mud to the wall to make a mud stool. Stoffel’s even used shovels, tires, and anything else you can think of to escape.
Screengrab via YouTube
And here’s a video of some of Stoffel’s greatest escapes.
Folks, we may already be looking at the next mammal to take over the planet someday, if we’re not careful. In the meantime, I say give them all the honey they want and let’s just hope they don’t ever develop larger aspirations.
What do you think of Stoffel? Let us know in the comments section and be sure to share his story with your friends and family.