10 Animals Fierce Enough to Kill a Honey Badger

The honey badger has enjoyed the perks of a positive reputation for years. People who were on the internet in the 2010s may remember the “honey badger don’t care” memes that permeated various websites. Today, though, it’s time for a reality check. The honey badger may have garnered fame due to its aggressive and fearless demeanor, but it’s far from invincible. Discover the 10 animals fierce enough to kill a honey badger.

Learn how these creatures would kill the badger and see why it’s time to temper your expectations of this animal’s fighting abilities. For this article, we’re taking animals from all over the world to show how the honey badger would get trounced by creatures on just about every continent.

1. Leopard

Leopards are one of the “big cats,” members of the Panthera genus known for being large predators. These cats are not nearly as large as lions and tigers, weighing about 66 to 198 pounds and growing about 75 inches long at their utmost.

They far outweigh the diminutive honey badger. This animal tops out at 11 inches tall, 30 inches long, and 35 pounds. Leopards kill using their long claws and teeth, biting prey on the throat to end their lives. That’s exactly what it would do to the honey badger.

2. Lion

Some people may have seen videos of a honey badger standing its ground against half a dozen lions. Make no mistake, though. If a lion wanted to kill a honey badger, it would do so quickly and violently. The lions may have avoided antagonizing the honey badger in that particular video because the risk of injury was not worth the reward of a paltry meal.

A full-grown lion can weigh upwards of 500 pounds, and they have powerful legs and a deadly bite. In short, a lion facing a threat in the form of a honey badger would easily kill the smaller creature.

3. Tiger

Tigers are even larger and more dangerous than lions. In fact, they are the true king of the jungle. They weigh between 260 and 660 pounds, can reach a top speed of over 45 mph, and have teeth that measure four inches long. These apex predators would overwhelm a honey badger with their size, power, and ferocity.  

4. Hippo

The hippopotamus is one of the largest and most dangerous mammals alive today. These immense creatures can grow up to 16 feet long, weigh between 2,200 and 9,000 pounds, and stand up to 5.2 feet at the shoulder. They have huge mouths, massive teeth, and a strong bite force. A honey badger would stand no chance against a hippo.

Simply put, the honey badger would have no way to kill a hippo. Yet, a hippo could bite or trample the honey badger to death with ease.  

5. Elephant

An elephant could kill a honey badger and probably not even realize it. An elephant can reach an enormous size of 10 feet tall and over 20 feet long. They can weigh as much as 8 tons. The elephant’s immense size means that the honey badger could not kill the large gray beast.

However, an elephant could trample on the honey badger or use its tusks to gore it. The honey badger wouldn’t stand a chance against the largest land animal.

6. Grizzly Bear

Some people imagine that a honey badger could hop on a grizzly’s back, make a run for an artery, and kill the bear. That’s not going to happen, though. What would happen in a fight between a grizzly bear and a honey badger? Simply, the bear would maul the honey badger to death. It would smack, bite, and shake the smaller animal until it was dead. Grizzly bears are certainly one of the animals fierce enough to kill a honey badger.

7. Hyena

A lot of people underestimate hyenas. Some of that may have been due to The Lion King making them out to be ineffective and weak. Spotted hyenas can reach weights of 150 pounds and stand about 3 feet tall.

Not only do they have a size advantage over the honey badger, but they also have an incredibly powerful bite force. They can bite with 1,100 psi of force! To put that in perspective, a lion can only muster 650 psi when biting. A hyena would clamp down on the smaller creature, driving its teeth into its head, neck, or vital organs. If the hyena was in a death match with a honey badger, it would win.

8. Crocodile

A Nile crocodile is another one of the animals fierce enough to kill a honey badger. These reptiles can reach 20 feet long, weigh from 500 to 1,600 pounds, and have an incredibly powerful bite force. They are quicker than they look, especially over short distances and in the water. If a honey badger were near the wrong river, the crocodile could bite and thrash the animal until it’s dead without a second thought.

9. Jaguar

Jaguars are the largest cats in the Americas. They can stand about 2.5 feet tall at the shoulders and weigh from 140 to 300 pounds. Like other big cats, jaguars use their teeth and claws to kill their prey. That’s exactly what this swift cat would do to a honey badger.

Jaguars are great at stalking prey in their natural habitat. When they get close enough to strike, they’ll burst forth at up to 50 mph to surprise and overwhelm their prey. The honey badger might have a tough attitude, but there is no fighting back against this sort of power.

10. Wolf

The average gray wolf is a large, dangerous creature. They are not merely big dogs. These mammals can weigh 80 to 150 pounds with amazing hunting senses. They stand nearly 3 feet tall at the shoulder, and they can reach over 5 feet long.

Aside from the size mismatch, the wolf has a bite strong enough to break bones. The wolf would use its speed and stamina to chase down and sap the honey badger before moving in for the kill. The much smaller animal would not have the speed or power to overcome a wolf.

While the honey badger memes are fun, let’s be realistic. There is not that much that an animal the size of a small dog is going to do against the biggest, strongest animals on the planet. These are just 10 of the animals fierce enough to kill a honey badger, but many others exist.

Summary of the Animals Fierce Enough to Kill a Honey Badger

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock.com