Manang: High in the rugged hills of Nepal’s Gandaki Province, communities continue one of the world’s most dangerous traditional occupations wild honey hunting preserving a centuries old practice that blends courage, culture and survival.
The risky tradition is still actively practiced in districts including Lamjung, Gorkha and Myagdi with Lamjung remaining one of its strongest cultural centers.
In Marsyangdi Rural Municipality-4 near Mipragaun, honey hunters descend towering cliffs on handmade rope ladders to collect honey from wild beehives clinging to rocky walls.
The dramatic activity has increasingly attracted both domestic and foreign tourists eager to witness the extraordinary tradition firsthand.
Local honey hunter Tek Bahadur Gurung said the community is committed to preserving the ancestral occupation by passing the skills down to younger generations.
“Wild honey is also used as medicine. We take risks to collect it because of its medicinal value,” Gurung said. “There is also strong demand in the market.”
According to Gurung, honey hunting takes place twice a year from early May to late May and again from early October to late October. Traditionally, harvesting is conducted only on Fridays with each collection cycle lasting around two days during peak season.
Before each expedition, villagers gather straw from nearby forests and prepare traditional ropes and ladders using age old techniques. These handmade tools can typically last for three to four years.
On harvesting days, groups of villagers travel together to the cliffs, where hunters carefully lower themselves down steep rock faces surrounded by swarms of aggressive wild bees.
Honey hunter Min Bahadur Gurung said the practice has evolved over time, especially in terms of safety.
“Earlier, honey was extracted by covering only the mouth, but now we extract it by covering the entire body,” he said. “This has reduced the risks to some extent.”
He explained that while bee stings are sometimes believed to have therapeutic benefits in small amounts, massive attacks can become life threatening.
Wild honey, long valued for its medicinal properties, was once consumed mostly within local communities but now commands growing market demand.
The tradition is also emerging as an important tourism attraction.
Turkish visitor Kemal who recently observed the honey hunting process, said the bravery and skills of local hunters left a deep impression on him.
“Honey hunting from such stinging bees is risky, but the courage and skill of the locals attracted me,” he said. “If managed properly such natural risks can also support income generation.”
Locals believe the unique practice should not only be preserved as cultural heritage but also promoted as a natural tourism experience capable of generating sustainable income for mountain communities.
