'Man-Eating' Badgers Terrify Iraqi Residents
Residents of Basra are blaming the British military for a recent plague of badgers seen in the Iraqi city streets. The rumour is that these are a giant man-eating variety, deliberately introduced by UK soldiers in order to scare the locals.
It seems more likely that honey badgers, native to the region but not usually found in Iraq, are the real culprits. The animals, weighing up to 14 kilos, are known for their ferocity but this is not directed at humans unless provoked.
Scientists suggest that the species has populated the area because of the reflooding of the nearby marshlands, home to the Shia Marsh Arabs, whose land had previously been drained by Saddam in order to suppress an insurgency there.
It seems more likely that honey badgers, native to the region but not usually found in Iraq, are the real culprits. The animals, weighing up to 14 kilos, are known for their ferocity but this is not directed at humans unless provoked.
Scientists suggest that the species has populated the area because of the reflooding of the nearby marshlands, home to the Shia Marsh Arabs, whose land had previously been drained by Saddam in order to suppress an insurgency there.
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