Badger goes to beach:
Texas beachgoers treated to rare badger sighting on Port Aransas coast
Hana Ikramuddin, Staff writer
Aug. 22, 2023Updated: Aug. 22, 2023 2:12 p.m.
 While not the one spotted on a Port Aransas beach, this is a badger.
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A young badger was spotted digging in the water along a Texas beach Tuesday.
Badgers are typically nocturnal animals that rarely pop up during the day. Seeing the animal in the day time was a shock, according to Tom Howe's Facebook page. Howe ran into the badger on a fishing trip at Padre National Seashore, according to Chron.com.
"On my way back I find this young badger digging crabs both on the sand and in the water," he said. "I only recently found out there were badgers on the island, almost no one here knows that we have them."
Badgers are found throughout most of the Lone Star State, but they typically stick around prairie and desert regions in the west, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The "digging machine" is not exactly pet material – it can attack with its sharp claws, and it can give off a strong odor to discourage potential enemies. The critter eats reptiles, bugs and some birds and help control rodent populations, according to the parks and wildlife species page.
Howe attributed the surprise visit to the ongoing heat and drought that has shocked both humans and animals alike this summer. Badgers are rarely seen, even in places where they are documented to live, a TPWD spokesperson told Chron.com.
"I then spent some time watching as this is truly a bucket list item, once in a lifetime event," Howe said.
A rare sight in Texas: Badger spotted digging along beach (houstonchronicle.com) |
