British forces in Basra, blamed for a host of ills from militia turf wars to rising Iranian influence, are being held responsible for the latest danger to strike the city – a plague of giant man-eating badgers.

For weeks, the southern Iraqi city has been abuzz with talk of a bear-like monster stalking the suburbs and attacking livestock and humans alike. The appearance of the beasts close to the British military base at the airport has sparked rumours that soldiers released them to terrify the populace.

British officials were at a loss to explain the phenomenon until a local farmer caught and killed several of the animals, subsequently identified as honey badgers, a large, sharp-clawed mammal renowned as the world’s most fearless creature.

The badgers, also know as ratels, weigh up to 14 kg (30lb) and are indigenous to Africa and the Middle East. Capable of taking on a cobra, they are far more aggressive than their European counterparts, but not usually known to attack humans, unless cornered or provoked.

The suggestion that British Forces are behind the Basra badger is only the latest bizarre misdeed attributed to them on the local rumour mill. Other accusations include shelling civilians under the guise of local militias and slipping snakes into waterways.

“We have not released giant badgers in Basra, and nor have we been collecting eggs and releasing serpents into the Shatt al-Arab river,” said Major David Gell, the British Army spokesman in Basra.

Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi, the director of Basra’s veterinary hospital, who inspected the corpses of several badgers, said they had long predated the arrival of foreign troops. Older Baswaris called the beast “the Garta” and scared naughty children with tales of the creature to get them to behave.

“Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific,” Mr Abdul-Mahdi said.

Scientists have speculated that the badgers’ numbers are on the increase because of efforts to reflood the marshlands north of Basra that Saddam Hussen had drained to quell an insurgency among Shia Marsh Arabs.

But neither scientific explanations nor military denials have done much to calm the fears of the populace, some of whom have now organised night patrols to keep the terrifying creatures at bay. “I was sleeping at night when this strange animal hit me on my head,” said Suad Hassan, 30. “I have not seen such an animal before. My husband hurried to shoot it but it was as swift as a deer. It is the size of a dog but his head is like a monkey. It runs so quickly.”

Mobile phone video footage of a dead badger, posted on YouTube, shows a skunk-like creature with long sharp claws. Fearsome as it may look, experts say the carnage credited to it stretches credibility.

Sattar Jabbar, a 50-year-old farmer, claimed to have seen the badger tackling prey many times its own size. “I saw it three days ago at night attacking animals. It even ate a cow. It tore the cow up piece by piece,” he said. “I tried to shoot it with my gun but it ran away into the orchards. I missed it,” he said.

Major Gell said that Basrawis should have little to fear from the beast, but urged them to keep their distance nonetheless: “If you cornered it and poked it with a stick, the smart money would be on the badger.”

Spot the difference

Honey Badger or Ratel ( Mellivora capensis)

— Adult male about 100cm (39ins) long including tail and weighs about 9.5kg (20lbs)

— Distributed across most of sub-Saharan and West Africa, Arabia, the Middle East and much of India

— Prey includes jackals, antelope and foxes, crocodiles and snakes

— Few predators. Lions and leopards occasionally kill them but usually keep their distance. African tribes report attacks on humans when cornered

— Main weapon powerful jaws. Thick rubbery skin enables them to turn and attack even when gripped by the back of the neck

Eurasian Badger ( Meles meles)

— Adult male badger usually about 90cm (35in long and weighs about 11.5kg (25lbs)

— Life expectancy is 15 years

— Found throughout Eurasia, from Britain to Japan, Norway to Southern China

— Principal diet is the earthworm

— Natural predators include wolves, lynx, wolverines and eagle owls

— First defence is usually flight to safety of sett

— If cornered often uses thick fur and skin as defence but may also fight back with powerful jaws

Source: www.badgers.org.uk

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