Warning: If you don’t want bad Benny Hill skits in your head, mute video immediately. Badger buries cow.
After scientists set up cameras to keep tabs on the behavior of scavenger animals in Utah, they were surprised to discover a badger buried a small cow carcass, according to a new study published Friday.
While badgers, which are small, omnivorous mammals, were known to scavenge and store small food items underground, this was the first evidence of the critter storing an animal carcass larger than itself, according to the study, which was led by undergraduate students from the University of Utah.
You can read all about it here.
Marcus Ranum says
Time flies like an arrow. Badger like a cow.
Caine says
That badger was extremely industrious. Made me feel lazier than usual.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says
Bennie Hill Music????
The earworm! *makes sign of crossed tentacles and covers ears*
I Have Forgiven Jesus says
Ooh I would’ve went with “Badger Buries Bovine Body” as the title
Daz: Uffish, yet slightly frabjous says
Blimey, what’s with the hatin’ on Boots Randolph?
(I haz original UK 45 from ’63.)
Caine says
Daz:
It’s not him. It’s Benny Hill.
WMDKitty -- Survivor says
I can cope with Benny Hill. But that clown music about halfway in? NOPE.
I have… issues… with clowns and circuses.
That said, I fucking lost it at the shot of the badger chilling on top of his stash, like, “beat that!”
Lofty says
Holey Cow!
robertbaden says
Badger badger badger badger badger mushroom mushroom……….
rq says
“I work all day and I work all night…”
Must be getting ready for the nuclear winter, animals have premonitions about these kinds of things. Also, I’d be pretty darned proud of myself after that, too!
I’m just curious about the conclusions, like, they’ve observed one badger burying one (small) cow, so this is somehow going to become a significant ecosystem service for the burial of diseased carcasses because…? Ranchers are going to leave dead cows out hoping badgers will bury them? They’ll teach badgers to read and leave signs out saying ‘Bury Me! Right Fast, I have a disease!’? Do badgers stockpile carrion or was this just a one-off by a badger showing off to xir friends and/or significant other? “Betcha can’t!” “Can, too!”
Anyway. My favourite bit is how the cow (I presume slowly) descends into the earth as the badger works not only around it, but under it as well.
Daz: Uffish, yet slightly frabjous says
Caine #6:
Ah, I see. Well, this might be an apt-ish alternative soundtrack.
And while I was looking for it, I stumbled on a quite interesting snippet from a documentary.