1988 Photo Contest, Nature, 1st prize
Photographer

Eric Valli

01 January, 1987

Mani Lal (63) collects the wild honey of 'apis dorsata', a giant bee. He is the head of a Gurung village in the foothills of the world's highest peaks. As did his father, a shaman priest, he travels to the Himalayan ravines every spring and autumn to collect honey. The last of his village to have mastery of the technique, Mani Lal uses a 50m-long bamboo ladder, secured only by a cord around his waist. Aided by an experienced team he maneuvers the 2.75m hive until it breaks of the rock face and falls into a basket.

About the photographer

Eric Valli

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