Page 54 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

54 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

It may be no bigger than a dog but, according to the nocturnal wanderers are undoubtedly exaggerations.
record books, the ratel is officially ‘the most fearless animal Nevertheless, they are remarkably tenacious creatures.
in the world’.According to urban myths, ratels aren’t When threatened, they put up a formidable defence,
simply efficient hunters but are also man-killers, with a rushing towards their enemy with a loud, rattling roar. If
reputation for hamstringing and castrating their victims! caught, they can wriggle within their own skin, to bite
Such tales are so widely believed that, in 2007, rumours of back – in fact, they have been known to kill the animals
British troops releasing ‘man-eating badgers’ into Basra that have attacked them, including lions and bears.As
City, Iraq spread panic amongst the population. It wasn’t hunters, they’re equally bold.They’ve been known to
true – native ratels were simply being driven towards the tackle crocodiles up to 1m (3.28ft) long, and will even
city because the marsh lands to the north were flooding. steal food from lions.
Yet, subsequent stories of ‘badgers as swift as deer’ Ratels are also accomplished diggers and skilled
attacking housewives did little to lessen the reputation of climbers, and appear to have a natural immunity to
this much maligned mammal. venom, as shown in the 2002 National Geographic
In truth, there’s no concrete evidence that ratels are documentary, Snake killers: honey badgers of the Kalahari. In
man-killers, and many of the tales told about these the film a ratel, called Kleinman, is seen to steal a meal out

Ratels are born opportunists and will eat almost anything, Finding a burrow, our curious ratel blows down the entrance
using their keen sense of smell to sniff out a meal. hole in an attempt to bring its owner into the open.

After several attempts to flush out his prey, he starts to dig – Success at last! The ratel gets his meal after all. Even an angry
but there’s still no sign of the burrow’s occupant. black mamba is no match for this hungry hunter.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.