Honey badgers have a reputation as some of the most ferocious and fearless animals in Africa, which is why we decided to give one lucky badger a starring role in a wildlife documentary!

Co-produced with NatGeo, Ultimate Honey Badger follows an orphaned honey badger (affectionately dubbed "Badgie") as she faces the wilds of South Africa's Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.

The aim of the film was to follow the steps it would take for this 10-week old orphan to become a fully fledged, wild honey badger. This included hunting her first scorpion, climbing trees, finding a burrow, learning how to track down mice and tackling snakes, all with the help of her human mentors, wildlife experts and conservationists Dylan and Theresa Smith.

The documentary debut was a smash success and we're really proud to announce that it is the highest-rated Sunday night telecast in Nat Geo WILD's history!

Catch the film on the NatGeo Channel (times are in EST):

  • Sunday, 12/01, 11am 
  • Thursday, 16/01, 10pm
  • Friday, 17/01, 1am
  • Sunday, 19/01, 7pm
  • Monday, 20/01, 2am
  • Thursday, 23/01, 3pm

Here's a gallery with some behind-the-scenes shots as well as a couple of clips from the recently aired film.

Previous Next Boris and the Badger View Slideshow
1 of 13
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Boris and the Badger

Badgie took a liking to Earth Touch cameraman Boris von Schoenebeck during filming ... he earned himself a badger kiss!

 1 1 Boris and the Badger
Digging In

With claws that are an inch and half long (about 4cm) badgers are natural born diggers. Sometimes they can dig as many as 50 holes in a single forage.

 2 2 Digging In
Filming Badgie

Earth Touch cameraman, Boris von Schoenebeck lines up his shot.

 3 3 Filming Badgie
Honey Badger Burrow

The Earth Touch crew setting up around Badgie's burrow.

 4 4 Honey Badger Burrow
Super Sniffer

Honey badger's have a sense of smell that is hunderds of times better than ours.

 5 5 Super Sniffer
Never Back Down

Honey badgers learn the code of defense early in life ... back down and you're dead.

 6 6 Never Back Down
Fearless and Ferocious

Muscular shoulders and thick, short legs give the honey badger a formidable appearance.

 7 7 Fearless and Ferocious
Aiming High

Tree-climbing is an essential part of life for honey badgers. They often carry out high-rise raids, targeting weaver bird nests and goshawk chicks, or sometimes badgers will climb trees in search of shade against the harsh Kalahari sun. 

 8 8 Aiming High
Surrogate Father

Orphaned Badgie is lucky enough to have a surrogate father helping her through the harsh Kalahari landscape. Dylan Smith works at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa as the Wildlife Projects Manager, where he focuses on a huge conservation effort, which supports many endangered animals.

 9 9 Surrogate Father
Badger Cloth

An ever-curious Badgie chewing on a piece of fabric she found.

 10 10 Badger Cloth
Foraging For Food

It may not look like there's a lot to eat down there, but Badgie knows a secret world thrives below the sands of the Kalahari. The best way to get there is to dig ...

 11 11 Foraging For Food
                                                                                                     

After returning from a foraging expedition, Badgie is faced with a prickly situation ... a porcupine has moved into her burrow. She'll have to evict the unwanted visitor.

 12 12 Home Invader
                                                                                                     

Badgers need to build up their tolerance for venom and a scorpion sting is perfect for the job.

 13 13 Venom Vaccine
Previous Next
Boris and the Badger

Badgie took a liking to Earth Touch cameraman Boris von Schoenebeck during filming ... he earned himself a badger kiss!

 1 Boris and the Badger
Digging In

With claws that are an inch and half long (about 4cm) badgers are natural born diggers. Sometimes they can dig as many as 50 holes in a single forage.

 2 Digging In
Filming Badgie

Earth Touch cameraman, Boris von Schoenebeck lines up his shot.

 3 Filming Badgie
Honey Badger Burrow

The Earth Touch crew setting up around Badgie's burrow.

 4 Honey Badger Burrow
Super Sniffer

Honey badger's have a sense of smell that is hunderds of times better than ours.

 5 Super Sniffer
Never Back Down

Honey badgers learn the code of defense early in life ... back down and you're dead.

 6 Never Back Down
Fearless and Ferocious

Muscular shoulders and thick, short legs give the honey badger a formidable appearance.

 7 Fearless and Ferocious
Aiming High

Tree-climbing is an essential part of life for honey badgers. They often carry out high-rise raids, targeting weaver bird nests and goshawk chicks, or sometimes badgers will climb trees in search of shade against the harsh Kalahari sun. 

 8 Aiming High
Surrogate Father

Orphaned Badgie is lucky enough to have a surrogate father helping her through the harsh Kalahari landscape. Dylan Smith works at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa as the Wildlife Projects Manager, where he focuses on a huge conservation effort, which supports many endangered animals.

 9 Surrogate Father
Badger Cloth

An ever-curious Badgie chewing on a piece of fabric she found.

 10 Badger Cloth
Foraging For Food

It may not look like there's a lot to eat down there, but Badgie knows a secret world thrives below the sands of the Kalahari. The best way to get there is to dig ...

 11 Foraging For Food
Home Invader

After returning from a foraging expedition, Badgie is faced with a prickly situation ... a porcupine has moved into her burrow. She'll have to evict the unwanted visitor.

 12 Home Invader
Venom Vaccine

Badgers need to build up their tolerance for venom and a scorpion sting is perfect for the job.

 13 Venom Vaccine
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