Spectacular Photography Of Ancient Traditional Honey Hunters In Central Nepal
Honey hunting is an ancient tradition of the Gurung tribespeople in central Nepal that involves gathering twice a year to risk their lives collecting wild honey from the world’s largest hives high up on Himalayan cliffs. U.K.-based documentary travel photographer Andrew Newey spent two weeks capturing this dying tradition, which is under the threat of commercialization. “For hundreds of years, the skills required to perform this dangerous task have been passed down through the generations” writes Newey, “but now both the bees and traditional honey hunters are in short supply.”
The honey hunting is extremely risky, as the hunters still use the same handmade rope ladders and long sticks – tangos – that their ancestors used. They wouldn’t be able to each the bees’ inaccessible cliff-face nests otherwise. By placing their nests on cliff faces, the bees avoid predators and increase their exposure to sunlight.
Here are the miraculous images from last year’s Autumn honey harvest.