# Mellivora capensis in Iraq Rampage **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673 "2007-07-13T16:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/1 "2007-07-13T16:49:38Z")
[British blamed for Basra badgers](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6295138.stm) > [@](#): > > British forces have denied rumours that they released a plague of ferocious badgers into the Iraqi city of Basra. > … > But several of the creatures, caught and killed by local farmers, have been identified by experts as honey badgers. > … > UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area. At least they’re not radioactive. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/2 "2007-07-13T17:43:46Z")
Sorry - can you clarify? Was it [this one](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellivora_capensis) or [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=48303) that was rampaging through the streets of Basra? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/3 "2007-07-13T17:52:32Z")
[QUOTE=Dottygumdrop] [this one](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellivora_capensis) or [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=48303)? [/QUOTE] Plus a few of [these](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php); well, not rampaging anymore, but in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/4 "2007-07-13T17:54:01Z")
It was [these](http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/5 "2007-07-13T18:14:37Z")
…I want an army of man-eating badgers now. _shifty eyes_ ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/6 "2007-07-14T03:41:22Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] [British blamed for Basra badgers](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6295138.stm) At least they’re not radioactive. [/QUOTE] Honey badgers? They sound like they’d be rather sweet. If these creatures are man-eating then obviously what they have there are chupacabras. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/7 "2007-07-14T11:16:39Z")
I think it must be these badgers: [link to video](http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Big+Ass+Badgers/) (I found it a little slow to load, but worth it! ) ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/8 "2007-07-14T11:46:36Z")
[A Coalition spokesman publically denied the allegations.](http://youtube.com/watch?v=HaxURLFn6jU) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/9 "2007-07-14T11:54:11Z")
Funny and all, but reading the Wikipedia page, I can see why they’re causing panic: > [@](#): > > They have been named the most fearless animal in the Guinness Book of World Records for a number of years. > [@](#): > > Ratels have such a great appetite for ravaging beehives that there have been cases of dead ratels being found stung to death within the hives they were trying to eat. > [@](#): > > Several African tribes report that the honey badger attacks the scrotum of larger mammals if provoked and has even castrated humans.[ > [@](#): > > In one case, shown on an episode of Animal Planet, an old female honey badger that was nearly toothless and had one blind eye was attacked by a leopard. It took the leopard about one hour to try to kill the honey badger without success. A marauding beast, impervious to assault by Leopards, going berzerk, castrating everything in sight :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/10 "2007-07-14T17:19:25Z")
[Vaudevillian]Sounds like my ex-wife![/Vaudevillian] ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/11 "2007-07-15T03:00:26Z")
Badgers? Badgers? We don’t need no _stinking_ badgers! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/12 "2007-07-15T06:16:19Z")
Turtles, nature’s suction cup! ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/13 "2007-07-15T06:37:39Z")
And today, we’re teaching poodles how to fly! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/14 "2007-07-15T07:25:04Z")
[Spying squirrel captured in Iran, Alcean accomplice believed to still be on the lam.](http://kamangir.net/2007/07/06/iran-us-face-off-goes-sci-fi-spy-squirrels-and-godly-ufos/) > [@](#): > > According to IRNA, the official Islamic Republic news agency, the national Police chief has implicitly verified the news about the confiscation of a number of squirrels, equipped with eavesdropping devices, on the Iranian borders. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellivora-capensis-in-iraq-rampage/411673/15 "2007-07-15T16:29:31Z")
Natasha: Got squirrel! Moose next! Bwah ha ha ha ha! Boris