Rare badger found in Toledo
8/11/2008Barry Skeldon found a rare prize yesterday on his drive home from the grocery store: an adult, male badger, albeit a dead one.
The stocky animal had been clipped by a vehicle on Heatherdowns Boulevard near Heather Downs Country Club in South Toledo and came to rest in the middle of the road.
"They've been sighted in Lucas County before, but it's a rare find, especially in the city limits," said Mr. Skeldon, a wildlife enthusiast and the brother of Lucas County dog warden Tom Skeldon and Fulton County dog warden Peter Skeldon, who are well versed in wildlife identification.
Mr. Skeldon scooped up the lifeless badger - which he estimates weighed 25 pounds - from the road at approximately 11 a.m. yesterday. The Toledo resident said he believes the mammal came from the golf course.
Badgers can be identified by their distinct, squatty shape and the black-and-white stripe on the top of their heads.
Though sightings are rare in the Toledo area, experts say the western part of Lucas County provides good habitat for badgers, which favor sandy soil for burrowing.
Mr. Skeldon hopes to have the critter mounted once he receives a salvage permit.