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Badger Forteana

JamesWhitehead

JamesWhitehead

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-2460035,00.html


Ron Davies says trips to gay haunt were to 'watch badgers'
Ananova
Thursday March 6, 2003 8:47 PM
Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies has admitted making repeated trips to a notorious gay cruising haunt - but only to watch badgers.
Mr Davies denies allegations in The Sun that he engaged in a gay sex act with a stranger at the beauty spot known as Tog Hill, near Bath, Somerset.
He initially insisted he had not even been to the site, but yesterday changed his story saying he had stopped there to go to the toilet and walk in the woods.
Now, in an interview to be shown on BBC Wales's Dragon's Eye programme, he says: "I have stopped there two or three times.
"I have actually been there when I have been watching badgers first thing in the morning. I know the area, it is a very pleasant area."
The area is known locally as a cruising area for gay men, and is listed on gay website http://www.gaytoz.com. Mr Davies insists, as far as he knew, it was just a picnic area.
He said he had stopped there on Monday to use the toilet and stretch his legs in the woods. He denied he was "on the lookout to get sexual partners", but said he did meet a stranger.
Mr Davies said: "I can confirm that I was approached, I had a brief conversation with an individual, who he was I don't know. In the course of that brief conversation another individual appeared.
"He pulled out a camera and took a couple of photographs of us and walked off." Asked if he had a sexual encounter with the man he said: "Those accusations will potentially be resolved in a court of law."
He said he had not lied on any occasion, adding he felt like a hunted animal. He said: "I don't think people who read tabloid papers realise the impact this sort of issue has on the private lives of individuals."


So badger-botherer or Big Hairy Mary Hunter? The courts may decide . . . :eek:
 
It seems obvious that by going sniffing around a "badgers" hole he was just doing research for an upcoming book on the wildlife of todger hi..sorry tog hill.
 
not heard this particular euphemism before..

Is this the same guy who went badger-spotting on Clapham Common, and then got mugged by said badgers and felt he had to quit his job over it? :rolleyes: What a tangled web we weave... I dunno, maybe it's me that's weird but I can't see the point about lying about this kind of thing, it only makes you look silly.
 
Yes, I believe it is the same man.

How unlucky can you get, eh? The poor man's only been to two famous crusing places in his otherwise unblemished life and he get caught both times :D

Those badgers have a lot to answer for. Pesky little buggers :D

(sorry)

Jane.
 
In February the small town of Badger, Newfoundland was badly flooded. This led to odd-sounding headlines like HUNDREDS FLEE BADGER FLOOD and BADGER DAMAGE IN THE MILLIONS.
 
This from the Sun.

Badger's 'war' on family
Fear ... badger at door
A FAMILY were trapped in their home for nearly three hours — besieged by a crazed BADGER.

The animal chased Luke McCoy, 12, and four pals to his house after spotting them getting off the school bus.

Then it waited outside the front door and refused to budge.

Luke’s mum Rosalind and dad Michael — both 43 — were also inside.

Michael said yesterday: “I realised we had a problem when it tried to force its way through the locked catflap.

“It was scraping at the flap with its claws and trying to push it open with its snout.”

Racehorse breeding consultant Michael called police in Bewdley, Worcs.

They put him in contact with expert Mike Weaver who took the mammal to his sanctuary.

Rosalind said: “The badger had watched us through the patio window. It was vicious when the expert caught it.”
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Terrribly shorry but I was verrry verrry drrunk at the time...:laughing:
 
Dr. Badger said:
Terrribly shorry but I was verrry verrry drrunk at the time...:laughing:
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But what the heck, you made it onto HIGNFY!
 
Re: Re: Badger Attacks

rynner said:
But what the heck, you made it onto HIGNFY!
Click to expand...
Yesh, but tonight the Colonel hassh locked me in just incashe I terroishes the neigboursh again.

Borrocksh I've already disharmed her booby trapsh and my escape plansh are made. Wash tomorrowsh headlinesh!
 
Dr. Badger said:
Rosalind said: “The badger had watched us through the patio window. It was vicious when the expert caught it.”
Click to expand...

Why did crazy family not just leave room, close door and ignore Badger untill it go away?

Did it have spinning, hypnotic eyes? Or use mysterious Power of the Badger for purposes of mind control?

Well done Dr. Badger!:p
 
Spot the difference between the endings of the Sun's article and the Times's:

The Sun
They put him in contact with expert Mike Weaver who took the mammal to his sanctuary.
Click to expand...

The Times
Mike Weaver, chairman of the Worcestershire Badger Society, caged the badger, despite it turning nasty. A vet, who put the animal down, said it was probably suffering from a brain tumour.
Click to expand...
:(
 
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040809/80/ezv1a.html
STONEHENGE (Reuters) - Determined digging by badgers living near Stonehenge's 5,000-year old circle of megaliths is damaging ancient archaeological artefacts and human remains.

The shy nocturnal animals are burrowing into pre-historic burial mounds on Salisbury Plain.

Their excavations have already disturbed some of the thousands of human remains and rare artefacts buried a few feet beneath the surface of the Plain on which Stonehenge -- a world heritage site -- sits.

The danger posed by the badgers' homebuilding has become so serious that the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which owns much of the land in the area, is trying to coax them away to less historically sensitive places.

"We have already moved badgers from two monuments located just north of Stonehenge," Ian Barnes, one of four archaeologists employed by the Ministry of Defence told Reuters.

Barnes said Neolithic long barrows, burial mounds that date back to 3,500 BC, are most vulnerable to attack, with about half of the 20 sites showing signs of badger activity. Long barrows are elongated, roughly rectangular structures that can be over 100 feet in length and several feet high.

EASY WORK FOR KEEN DIGGERS

The characteristic chalk and soft earth of the area is easy work for badgers, who are proficient diggers. The creatures, which have a distinctive black and white stripped head, often have more than one underground home, or sett.

Barnes said some monuments will have to be given up to the badgers because the damage they have caused is already too extensive.

There has been talk of culling the animals but English Heritage, the government's advisor on Britain's historic environment which looks after Stonehenge, said it was not an option.

"Culling badgers has not been considered by English Heritage and is not our policy." an English Heritage spokeswoman said.

"We have recently begun work on a project to assess in more detail the impact of the badgers on Salisbury Plain archaeological sites.

"We will be continuing to work on this project over the course of the summer of 2004 and hope the results will help us understand more about the nature of badger damage so we can protect England's archaeology as effectively as possible for future generations."

Barnes said the most effective way of moving badgers has been shutting them out of their homes. "A mesh link fence is built around the sett when the badgers are out."

The process costs thousands of pounds because each site has to be examined for archaeology before barriers are put up.

Badger groups agree the animals can be moved successfully and are working with the MoD and English Heritage.

"Where there are badgers causing problems they can be humanely excluded," said Elaine King, chief executive of the National Federation of Badger Groups.

"Badgers can be successfully relocated, but it is important to understand their territorial behaviour."

NOT EVERYONE'S FURRY FRIEND

Not everyone is so keen on the badger, which has been protected by law since 1992.

Farmers are worried that badgers are behind a rise in bovine tuberculosis because they carry the disease. The National Farmer's Union believes more research is needed to investigate possible links.

"There is no concrete proof that badgers are responsible, but given that badgers are carriers their role needs to be examined more closely," said an NFU spokeswoman.

"We are hearing a lot of reports from farmers saying they are seeing a lot more badgers".

Grey-coated adult badgers, which can be nearly a metre in length, have no natural enemies in Britain and posses powerful jaws capable of giving nasty bites. The biggest killer of adult badgers is road traffic.
Click to expand...
 
Does this bit sound like Putting A Brave Face On to you?

"Culling badgers has not been considered by English Heritage and is not our policy." an English Heritage spokeswoman said.

"We have recently begun work on a project to assess in more detail the impact of the badgers on Salisbury Plain archaeological sites.

"We will be continuing to work on this project over the course of the summer of 2004 and hope the results will help us understand more about the nature of badger damage so we can protect England's archaeology as effectively as possible for future generations."
:laughing:


'Barnes said the most effective way of moving badgers has been shutting them out of their homes. "A mesh link fence is built around the sett when the badgers are out."'
I bet the badgers are right p*ssed off when they get back from Asda.
;)
 
Badger found hanging by its teeth

A "petrified" badger was found hanging by its teeth from a harbour ladder in Fraserburgh. The Scottish SPCA has now launched an inquiry into the incident to try and discover how the badger got there.

Experts do not believe it would have wandered through the town and harbour area on its own and suspect foul play.

Scottish SPCA inspector John Carle said: "It was petrified and clinging onto the rung. However it should make a full recovery."

The badger is now being treated by vets and was said to be making good progress after its weekend ordeal.

Inspector Carle told BBC Scotland: "We are struggling to find out the answer why it would have gone there of its own accord.

"We want to find the answer and police are checking CCTV footage.

"Someone may have come across it in a weakened state, possibly having been hit by a car, or some illegal activity.

"It was petrified and clinging onto the rung.

"However it's in good condition now it's had a good rest, all the signs are pointing to that it should make a full recovery."

Anyone found guilty of crimes against badgers can face a fine of thousands of pounds and a prison sentence.





Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/s ... 938522.stm

Published: 2006/04/24 13:26:05 GMT

© BBC MMVI
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Last edited by a moderator:
Wow, I had no idea veterinary technology had the power to reverse the petrification process! That's a relief, 'cause it's so hard to keep the gorgons out of the compost heap.

But what kind of stone did it turn into - igneous, metamorhic, or compound?
 
PeniG said:
Wow, I had no idea veterinary technology had the power to reverse the petrification process!
Click to expand...
Taking things a little too literally there, Peni?

Speaking as a one-time geologist, I've never seen a petrified badger. :D

(But perhaps it was a littoral badger... :? )
 
It lived by shallow waters????? :lol:
PS. once managed to convince gullyable students that badgers had claws like philips screwdrivers and could get into tvs, microwaves etc and would explode out in fury should said items be turned on. The bs was further compounded by me telling said fools that badgers were evolving and that their intellectual capacity was increasing by 4%per year. Thus they had got to the point where they had realised man's behaviour was responsible for their depleted numbers and they were mad (really mad) and out for revenge. Further BS involved me telling 'them' that badgers could flatten like mambas and hide under pillows, get through cracks in windows or under doors. (I won't mention the radioactive badger lice unless asked). Some students spent months (no bs) looking under pillows etc and were petrified. So a badger may or may not be petrified, but it certainly petrify the terminally stupid :lol:
pps.my telepathic ant story went one further....
 
GadaffiDuck said:
It lived by shallow waters????? :lol:
PS. once managed to convince gullyable students that badgers had claws like philips screwdrivers and could get into tvs, microwaves etc and would explode out in fury should said items be turned on. The bs was further compounded by me telling said fools that badgers were evolving and that their intellectual capacity was increasing by 4%per year. Thus they had got to the point where they had realised man's behaviour was responsible for their depleted numbers and they were mad (really mad) and out for revenge. Further BS involved me telling 'them' that badgers could flatten like mambas and hide under pillows, get through cracks in windows or under doors. (I won't mention the radioactive badger lice unless asked). Some students spent months (no bs) looking under pillows etc and were petrified. So a badger may or may not be petrified, but it certainly petrify the terminally stupid :lol:
pps.my telepathic ant story went one further....
Click to expand...

I love it when students are gullible. :lol:

Please mention the radioactive badger lice. :yeay:
 
JOY :D
I hope you asked him to go to the lab and get a long weight? which, (straining hard to stop killing this thread) is what you'd have to do with a badger before it got petrified.
PS, I am shocked Rynner...you never came across badger strata? ;)
 
IN reply to the above query re: radioactive badger lice. Okay then..

To sell my story of evolving, intelligent, screw driver clawed badgers to the students, I told a few that recently a badger had got into a microwave in a nearby residential hall (a few hundred feet away). I maintained that a poor japanese girl (called hoshe - bullshitted name from Enterprise on the spur of the moment) had tried to 'warm' up the microwave to heat up some saki (nobody questioned this logic - joy). Sadly for hoshe, the badger burst out of the microwave on fire and clawed and burned her face before dying. Now I had recently been made residential assistant for that building and claimed this was because I had disposed of the badger body. Further, Hoshe's father was about to sue the university etc. Indeed, I told my audience that that I had effectively been silenced by the University and local government - asthey knew all about evolving badgers. AS my audience were wide eyed and outraged at this censorship I also told them that because microwaves are radioactive, the badger's natural lice and mutated in this accident. Now our university accommodation is vile and there are many silverfish about. I told my friends that badger lice looked like silverfish but they had a small pair of biting mouth parts. These badger lice not only were poisonous and radioactive, but they had also inherited the badgers' natural loathing of mankind. You can probably imagine the rest...
 
GadaffiDuck said:
I maintained that a poor japanese girl (called hoshe - bullshitted name from Enterprise on the spur of the moment)
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Not a Japanese Prostitute then?
 
Welllll....if you knew my uni, then you wouldn't be surprised. However (ahem), I thought that keeping her to the background a good thing as I told the semi-believers that she was upstairs (in said block) scarred and upset. Further, if they didn't believe me they could go up there and see for themselves - I then told them how heartless they would be and I could just see them laughing. Naturally, a combination of chagrin and normal student lazyness precluded any action other than belief :D
 
Wow, I had no idea veterinary technology had the power to reverse the petrification process!
Click to expand...

They've obviously been growing their mandrake roots!

Ear protection at the ready :D
 
Sounds like something Adrian would say in the sitcom Bread: "My petrified badger is hanging by its teeth..."
 
I suppose this could be filed under Cryptozoology, but for the fact are so many other oddities around it.
Especially the rumour that the British Armed Forces somehow introduced them.

Giant badgers terrorise Iraqi port city
July 11, 2007 05:37pm

THE Iraqi port city of Basra, already prey to a nasty turf war between rival militia factions, has now been gripped by a scary rumour – giant badgers are stalking the streets by night, eating humans.

The animals were allegedly released into the area by British forces.

Local farmers have caught and killed several of the beasts, but this has done nothing to dispel the rumour.

Iraqi scientists have attempted to calm things down. However, the story has spread like wildfire in the streets of the city and the villages round about.

Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi, director of Basra's veterinary hospital, has inspected the corpses of several badgers and tries to reassure Iraqis that the animals are not a new post-war arrival in the region.

“These animals appeared before the fall of the regime in 1986. They are known as Al-Ghirayri and locally as Al-Girta,” he told AFP. “Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific.”

Not everybody is convinced.

“I believe this animal appeared following a raid to the region by the British forces,” said Ali Mohsen, a farmer in his 40s from Karmat Ali, near the air base used by the multinational force.

“As we are close to the airport, they probably released this animal into the area.”

British troops have been based in Basra since the 2003 US-led invasion overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, and the 5500 that remain still face the threat of Shiite militias battling for the region's oil resources.

They also have to battle the Iraqi rumour mill, as locals are quick to blame them for almost any calamity that befalls the area – including an apparent plague of vicious badgers with long claws and powerful jaws.

British army spokesman Major David Gell said the animals were thought to be a kind of honey badger – melivora capensis – which can be fierce but are not usually dangerous to humans unless provoked.

“They are native to the region but rare in Iraq. They're nocturnal carnivores with a fearsome reputation, but they don't stalk humans and carry them back to their lair,” he said.

Both the scientists and the soldiers agree that the badger ought not to be a danger to humans, but so far they have failed to reassure the populace.

“I was sleeping at night when this strange animal hit me on my head. I have not seen such an animal before. My husband hurried to shoot it but it was as swift as a deer,” Suad Hassan, a 30-year-old housewife said.

“It is the size of a dog but his head is like a monkey. It runs so quickly.”

Cell phone video of the badgers circulating in Basra shows a stocky skunk-like animal with long front claws.

The honey badger, or ratel, is known as a brave predator capable of killing a cobra. It weighs up to 14kg.

Sattar Jabbar, a 50-year-old local farmer from Abu Sakhar north of Basra, believes the badger can tackle even large prey.

“I saw it three days ago at night attacking animals. It even ate a cow. It tore the cow up piece by piece. I tried to shoot it with my gun but it ran away into the orchards. I missed it,” he said.
Click to expand...

Story here

Mr P
 
I'm not sure it's a simple black and white case.
 
Its just what the Brits would do. REmember all those ABCs they realed in the North of Ireland?
 
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