Honey Hunter Boy

In the foothills of the Dhaulagiri range of northwestern Nepal, the peaks are over 8000 meters high. Here lives Moti, a 14 year old boy, nestled atop a small village on green rolling hills.

He’s part of a ‘mad’ honey hunter gatherer group, a group who risk their lives every year to gather hallucinogen infused honey from the big black bees of the Himalayas.

Situated far from civilisation, reaching Moti’s village is quite a journey in itself. In order to travel to the village in Nepal, you first take a plane from Kathmandu to Pokhara – followed by a four hour drive to the city of Beni where the road ends. From here on, you’ll have to take a full days walk often going along perilous tracks.

Moti is the youngest to join the honey hunter gathering. This year he’ll join his dad, uncles and friends. Even though Moti should have been in school at this age, he hasn’t been for several years. The family’s poverty forces their hand, leaning towards wherever money can be made.

Since Moti is the eldest he’ll be vetted into the only profitable job currently available to him: A mad honey hunter.