Mellivora capensis Shoulder height 30cm. Weight 12kg.
Also known as the ratel, the honey badger is black with a puppyish face and grey-white back. It is an opportunistic feeder best known for its allegedly symbiotic relationship with a bird called the honeyguide which leads it to a bee hive, waits for it to tear it open, then feeds on the scraps. The honey badger is among the most widespread of African carnivores, and also amongst the most powerful and aggressive for its size. It occurs all over Botswana, but is thinly distributed and infrequently seen, except when it has lost its fear of people and started to scavenge from safari camps.

Similar species
Other mustelids occurring in the region include the striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), a common but rarely seen nocturnal creature with black underparts and a bushy white back.