MANANG: Deep in the hills of Nepal’s Gandaki Province, communities continue the centuries-old practice of honey hunting, one of the world’s most daring and dangerous traditional livelihoods.
Carried out on steep cliffs in districts such as Lamjung, Gorkha and Myagdi, the practice remains especially prominent in Lamjung, where it is still preserved as a living cultural heritage.
In Marsyangdi Rural Municipality-4 of Lamjung, near Mipragaun, locals risk their lives by descending steep cliffs on rope ladders to collect honey from wild beehives. The practice has also drawn interest from visitors and tourists who come to observe this unique tradition. Locals say they continue honey hunting to preserve it as an ancestral occupation and pass it on to the next generation.
Honey hunter Tek Bahadur Gurung said the community has been working to sustain this tradition through generational transfer of skills, as it was earlier mostly carried out by elders.
“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.” He added that honey hunting takes place twice a year.
According to him, the first season runs from the first week of May to the last week of May, while the second season falls between the first week of October and the last week of October. Traditionally, honey is collected only on Fridays, and each harvesting cycle usually takes about two days during peak season.
For the activity, villagers collect straw from forests and prepare traditional ropes and ladders. These are crafted using age-old methods and can be used for three to four years.
On the designated days, groups of villagers head to the cliffs together using these rope ladders to collect honey. Honey hunter Min Bahadur Gurung said the practice has also become a source of income for the community, as honey hunting is now recognized as one of the most dangerous traditional livelihoods in the world.
“Earlier, honey was extracted by covering only the mouth, but now we extract it by covering the entire body,” he said, adding, “this has reduced the risks to some extent.”
Gurung explained that bee stings, while sometimes considered therapeutic in small numbers, can also be life-threatening when they occur in large numbers. Honey from wild bees, traditionally used for medicinal purposes, was earlier limited to local households.
He said that with changes in clothing and safety practices, covering the body more completely has made honey hunting relatively safer. He also noted that what was once a purely local practice is now attracting increasing interest from foreign visitors.
Foreign tourists are now coming to observe honey hunting activities. Turkish visitor Kemal said such natural and adventurous practices should be preserved and promoted through tourism. “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.”
Kemal added that he was initially frightened while watching the traditional method of honey extraction.
Locals say demand for wild honey remains high due to its medicinal value, making the practice economically significant as well. They believe it should be preserved, promoted as a natural product, and developed further as a source of income.
Community members emphasize the need to protect this tradition while also developing it as a tourist attraction for foreign visitors.
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