Photo story: the Nepalese honey hunters facing some of the largest bees in the world
The Gurung ethnic group has been collecting wild honey in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal for centuries, risking their lives to harvest sticky combs from cliff nests using ancient techniques handed down through generations.
The honey hunters will leave their village with porters to carry their food, water and equipment, and head into the forest to face the largest honeybees in the world.
Bhujung is one of the most remote settlements in the Lamjung district of central Nepal, hidden in a lush valley and surrounded on all sides by emerald mountains. There are around 800 houses here, packed densely together, belonging to the Gurung community, which still holds onto its traditional ways.
Madan Singh Gurung is a senior honey hunter, having collected the delicacy, just as his ancestors did, for two decades. Here, he sits at the base of a harvest site, supervising the procedure while wearing a net over his face to protect him against the bees’ stings.
The Gurung worship nature rather than a deity — Bhujung doesn’t have a temple — as they’re so dependent on the surrounding forests, rivers and mountains for their survival. Kali Gurung is carrying a basket of logs she’ll use to build a fire to cook on.
Before heading out in search of the hives, senior honey hunters will sit on the top of the hill and pay their respects to Mother Nature, requesting permission to collect honey from the hives. By doing this, they believe they’ll be protected from any danger they may have to face during the harvest.
Madan Singh Gurung scouts ahead while the rest of the team moves the ladder into place from the top of the cliff. At the bottom, a fire smokes the bees out of their hives without harming any in the process.
Khir Bahadur Gurung carries the handmade ladder to the top of the cliff first. The ladder is tied to the trunk of the strongest tree and dropped down over the ledge as close as possible to the nests.
Cutting blades are made from wood by hand, and are six to seven feet long and sharp along one edge.
All the members of the hunting party (typically five or six people) work as a team, with some staying on top of the hill to assist the hunter on the ladder, passing him cutting blades and honey-collection baskets.
Once the hunter on the ladder has sliced a comb from the cliff, and caught it in the basket, the rest of the team will extract the honey and store it in jars.
Purna Bahadur Gurung, left, has been a honey hunter since the age of 17. He became the leader, or main guru, of his honey-hunting group after the death of its previous leader.
While he no longer directly participates in the harvest, he still travels with the team every year to train the younger members. As their leader and the most experienced person in the group, Purna performs the puja, or worshipping ceremony, using the knowledge passed down to him by the former guru.
These traditional practices are at risk from commercialisation and the waning interest of younger generations, who are increasingly drawn to the cities by easier, more lucrative work. Purna hopes he can pass on his knowledge and skills to the other members of the group, so the art of honey hunting can live on.
Published in the April 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
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