honey hunter

Nepal is the country with diversity in it’s  land form, culture  and variation in occupation they inherited from the past to present. Honey hunting is the bravery act of the great Nepali people who use to live in the top of the world, the yard of great Himalayas.  They play tactfully with one of the most angry creature on this earth. This act is not only the occupation for their life but also the art of their planning and bravery to achieve the sweat honey from the heart threatening cliffs,clinging on the rope of bamboo. There are so many tribes like, Gurung, sharpa etc.. who opt these kind of job from past to till now.

From above, a honey hunter descends the cliff harnessed to a ladder by ropes. As his mates secure the rope and ladder from the top and ferry tools up down as required, the honey hunter fights territorial bees as he cuts out chunks of honey from the comb.

For hundreds of years, the skills required to perform this treacherous task have been passed down through the generations. But now both the bees and traditional honey hunters are in short supply, according to scientist.

It is the real and frequent activity of indigenous Gurung and Magar Community in Bhujung and Pasgaon for honey hunting from which they are able to solve their problem of bread and butter. This ancestral job of honey hunting still continues in many remote villages of Nepal while offering high tourism potential. A large section of travelers are increasingly showing their interest in honey hunting thereby ensuring staple sources of local revenue generation, besides Ghalegoan Bhujung and the hole of Annapurna region, Dhading and Jharlang across Ganesh Himal Arun valley in Makalu and other trekking areas have become Popular for honey hunting, a new tourist activity but in Nepal except Bhujung area of Annapurna region, special package of Honey hunting for tourist is not developed yet. Nerveless few lucky tourist get chance to observe honey hunting on spot while traveling along the trekking routes. There are myriad be nests found in the inner and outer rings of different trekking areas which if professionally scientifically and technically managed, provides an immense potentiality of promoting honey hunting as an add- on product.

Bee Hunter in Nepal

Despite all these facts, we should be very careful about the natural and environmental effect, disappearance of wild bees and so many possible problems due to unskilled, unnatural and unbalanced honey hunting. About a decade ago 40-45 bee nets could be seen in Ghan Pokhara, but now that number is reduced to only five or six. Honey hunting should be promoted on the strength of skilled manpower and professionalism.