Honey Hunting - the sweet adventure
“The rock is their mother, the rope is their father and the tree on top of the cliff is their anna (elder brother)”
- Honey Trails in the Blue Mountains
Honey hunting is a mysterious and ancient activity. It is a tribal tradition, surrounded by folklore, rituals and a deep connection and reverence of nature and the sweet nectar she provides. The art of honey hunting is a dangerous pursuit up tall trees and down treacherous cliffs – but it is also a community effort. No man hunts honey alone.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is home to major honey-producing zones, with massive honey cliffs or bee-nesting trees present in large numbers across the landscpae. Honey hunters maintain and preserve this unique practice, and the art of honey collection in the Nilgiris is a source of pride for the communities which continue their ancient traditions.
Programme Components
HONEY HUNTERS
SUSTAINABLE HARVEST
HONEY BEE HABITATS
VALUE ADDITION
HONEY HUNTING FOLKLORE
BEE SCIENCE
CHALLENGES
Heavily dependent on weather patterns • Wage work imposing on honey hunting traditions • Loss of knowledge and skills being passed down generations • Sustainable practice deteriorating due to market pressures • Commercialisation • The use of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides have destroyed large numbers of natural colonies • Deforestation and landuse changes • Exploitation of middlemen • Almost no changes in technology in the honey hunting practices considering the fact that it is such an age old tradition • Unsafe practicesINTERVENTIONS
Trainings • Documentation • Appropriate tools • Value addition • Insurance by AadhimalaiIMPACTS
A sustainable and economically viable livelihood • Fair price for the product • Recognition of the age-old practice • Improved quality of honey • Focus on regaining traditions of sustainable honey hunting, to ensure the tradition can live on for future generations
