Comments on: Iraq’s Garta & Badgers and Africa’s Nandi Bear

By: Benthere_2

Benthere_2 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:36:01 +0000

We recently trapped one of the “Ratels” or “Gartas” near Qayyarah, Iraq.
This is the first I had seen here in two years of trapping.
Qayyarah is in the Northern portion away from the swamps of the south but auquatic sites are present.

The only other captures I am aware of were South of the Baghdad area besides the Basrah encounters.

These are nothing more than bad ass badgers; very reclusive and very mean when trying to handle.
Before release he virtually ripped our wire live trap apart.
The one captured went about 30 lbs of solid muscle and was very quick in the sand when released. I followed him to a burrow after he ran a considerable distance.
You can imagine our surprise when approaching a covered trap expecting jackal or fox and receive a frightful growling coming from this creature.
I was quite shocked and pleased to see an Article from Loren on the subject pop up in google when I was trying to research our capture.
Having been involved with Crypto searching for many years in Oklahoma it was quite refreshing.

Hello to all my old Bigfoot friends from Iraq
Yes I am Still tracking in the Sand
Rob

By: sschaper

sschaper — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:11:51 +0000

Yep, more of a wolverine than an American (or even Wind in the Willows) badger.

With the defeat of Sadam, who was draining the marshes, is it possible that the population is coming back, but that something is driving them towards Basrah, whether it be military activity, or a cyclical lack of food like the lynx/hare cycle in North America?

By: searoom

searoom — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 10:44:18 +0000

Could you give us a size range on these Ratels?

By: john5

john5 — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:43:57 +0000

The Garta reminds me more of a North American Wolverine than a Badger although they are both from Mustelid family. The Wolverine can also be ferocious in its behaviour.

By: elsanto

elsanto — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:34:59 +0000

Great post, Loren. I knew from the first picture that we were looking at a ratel; what I wasn’t aware of was just how wide ranging they are, nor was I aware of their fierce reputation. I also didn’t realize that Heuvelmans had suggested the ratel as a candidate to explain the Nandi Bear… though from what I recall about Nandi Bear accounts, the creature is considerably larger than a ratel, and given its range, wouldn’t the locals recognize a ratel for what it is?