The Fearless Honey Hunters of Nepal
Marty Mcfly
Published
07/07/2015
in
wow
High in the Himalayan foothills, fearless Gurung men risk their lives to harvest the massive nests of the world's largest honeybee.
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The Gurung men do their work without any protection from the bees. -
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Before a hunt can commence the honey hunters are required to perform a ceremony to placate the cliff gods. This involves sacrificing a sheep, offering flowers, fruits and rice, and praying to the cliff gods to ensure a safe hunt. -
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Helpers light fires at the base of the cliffs in a bid to smoke the bees out. -
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The honey hunter clings precariously to the rope ladder while he waits for the rising smoke to drive the bees out of the nests. -
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Once the bees have been smoked out of their nest the honey hunter is able to cut the exposed honeycomb away from the cliff face. -
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Clinging to a ladder of braided bamboo well over 250 feet above ground, the men work for four hours to gather the honey by hand. -
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The honey hunters use sharpened bamboo poles to slice through the honeycomb to dislodge it from the cliff. -
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Taking a smoke break some 200 plus feet above the ground. -
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Using precision and skills mastered over many years the ‘cutter’ jousts tentatively at a bee’s nest with a sharpened stick known as a tango. -
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One of the Gurung men watches from the base of the cliff as the cutter repositions himself on the rope ladder 200ft above. -
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Braided bamboo baskets haul in their prize, the toxic rhododendron honey produced by the Apis laboriosa bee. -
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Hauling in the fresh honeycomb. -
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Worker enjoying the fruits of his labor. -
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Blood, blisters and bee stings are synonymous with this treacherous tradition. -
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Ready to protect their harvest by any means necessary. -
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Man hauling some freshly cut honeycomb. -
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A young boy from the nearby village feasts on a piece of freshly cut honeycomb that has fallen to the ground.
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