Honey Hunting

Honey hunting/harvesting is the gathering of honey from wild colonies and is one of the most ancient human activities and is still practiced by indigenous societies in different parts of Nepal.  Nepal is very rich in honeybee diversity. There are at least five different honeybee species in the country. A large quantity of honey and beeswax is being produced from indigenous honeybees (mainly Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa). These bee species play a vital role in pollinating mountain crops and wild flora. However, there is a significant lack of information about the population status of indigenous honeybees, and their relationship and role in regulating honey-hunting traditions, livelihood issues, and biodiversity conservation.

Two season of a year are considered best for honey hunting in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal. Team of local honey hunters gather around cliffs that are home to the world's largest honeybee. Gathering honey from wild bee colonies is usually done by subduing the bees with smoke and breaking the bee’s hive from tree or rocks where the colony is located, often resulting in the physical destruction of the colony. For the generations, the indigenous people of hills are harvesting cliff bee's honey.