High in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal Gurung honey hunters gather twice a year, risking their lives to harvest the honey from the world’s largest honeybee.

For hundreds of years, the skills required to practise this ancient and sacred tradition have been passed down through the generations, but now both the number of bees and traditional honey hunters are in rapid decline as a result of increased commercial interests and climate change.

Photos by Andrew Newey for the full photo set (and prints). Also, check out Andrew Newey’s photo expeditions for those interested in more than a conventional safari.