The one timeless rule in the wild is: Wake up and start running — either to eat or not to get eaten. Even the king of the jungle himself can easily become a meal for a pack of hungry hyenas. The stakes are always high and in any given moment life can slide quickly down the jaws of a ruthless predator. Of course, the bigger and faster you are, the better your chances of seeing the next day’s sun. However, for some creatures, their ability to survive and thrive isn’t about the size of their bodies, the speed of their legs, or any magical powers — it is their brave heart; no going down without a fight, tackling enemies more powerful than them without a second thought, thus they are respected, and even fearsome monsters would have to think again before crossing their path.
Let’s take a look at five of these animals who embrace fearlessness as a way of life:
1. Honey Badger
A honey badger.
Image: Animals Comparison
If you have encountered a honey badger somewhere, then you won’t be surprised as to how it got to the top of this list, just as you won’t be surprised as to how it attacks a pride of five lions trying to kill it, or a gigantic leopard trying to make a dinner out of it.
The honey badger has been recorded many times making a meal out of the most venomous snakes and surviving it. Apparently, its favorite delicacy is honey, it just won’t stop at anything to get what it wants, even if it means enduring stings from thousands of bees. One would expect a honey badger’s menu to be quite rich, that’s right! On top of snakes and honey, there are different varieties of insects and birds.
But a wolf isn’t a coward either, one might argue, yes but it derives its courage from the pack. Interestingly, honey badgers are known to be loners, living an adventurous solitary existence and only meet for mating, after which they can hang around together for like a month and go their separate ways. A cub will stay with its ma for about two years before venturing to live independently.
Honey badgers are found mostly in Southwest Asia and parts of Africa, establishing their homes inside burrows and often coming out at night for hunting.
Its unmatched fearlessness is backed by a thick loose coat that can withstand the heaviest blows and helps it slide out of a predator’s tight grip. It is immune venom also. Its sharp formidable claws and powerful bite give it an upper hand when launching an offensive against an enemy. It is also one of the most intelligent animals, honey badgers have been recorded, not once, improvising tools to get things done. Their intelligence also manifests in their ingenious escape strategies in the face of an attack, especially when outnumbered. It also has a secret weapon: a gland that emits a horrible odor that bees and many predators find unbearable.
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2. Wolverine
A wolverine
Is fearlessness a bloodline thing? Well, because the Mustelids family, to which the honey badger and the wolverine belong, seems to have the bravest warriors. The Wolverine is the big brother in this family which also comprises Otters and Weasels. Its size ranges between 67- 105 cm in length, excluding the tail, and a height of 35-47 cm. It weighs between 20-42 pounds.
It resembles a smaller bear, some refer to it as Gulo Gulo or Carcajou. It is well known for its incredible strength, tenacity, and courage to fight and take down larger prey, some twice its size.
Wolverines occur mostly in the Nordic states of Europe, Northern Canada, and Western Russia. They are solitary creatures. Their mating season is between May and August.
It preys on a wide variety of animals, including squirrels, deer, and livestock. There are recorded instances of wolverines chasing away bears or wolves and robbing them of their hard-earned meal.
3. Lions
Lion at Serengeti
The kind of courage that has been stamped on flags of countless empires, preserved in books, engraved in sculptures, narrated by wise men, housed in portraits, and respected in the jungle. A lion’s courage is undoubtedly great.
Lions are social creatures, and their families or pride rule the jungle. It is a dominant apex predator that feeds mostly on ungulates.
Lions can easily be spotted in many parts of Africa, including Maasai Mara in Kenya, Serengeti in Tanzania, and Kruger in South Africa. They are also found in India.
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4. Komodo Dragon
A komodo dragon
An encounter with this creature will make you imagine that it isn’t just a bigger lizard but is indeed a dragon, right, not far different from the ones described in apocalyptic scriptures—for real? Just watch how it makes the ground shake when its enormous body is on the run, with its fork-like tongue protruding from its mouth, ready to drag the next victim down to hell. A real apex and cannibalistic predator which doesn’t give a damn about who is blood and who isn’t — it swallows even its brothers and sisters. They often feed on smaller lizards, invertebrates, mammals, and birds. There are a few instances of these dragons attacking people.
Their size can reach 3 meters in length and weigh up to 160 kg.
They are found mostly in Indonesia, especially the Komodo Island. They have also been recorded in some parts of Africa, including Kenya.
5. Hippos
A group of hippos at Maasai Mara Kenya
Hippos are super aggressive and unpredictable and are reported to kill at least 500 humans every year, as compared to only 22 that are killed by lions.
After elephants and rhinos, hippos are the third biggest land dwellers. Adult bulls weigh roughly 1500kg while adult cows weigh about 1300 kg.
They are semiaquatic, they stay in water or mud during most parts of the day and emerge at night to graze on land. They are territorial, but only on water.
Hippos are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
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