Comments

The Japanese subspecies of the badger, Meles meles anakuma, looks rather different to the typical European animals. The fur is usually browner, and the facial stripes are often paler or much reduced in size. In this specimen, the dark stripes are reduced to panda-like patches around the eyes. If you look closely, you will see that the stripes do continue up to the ears, but beyond the dark eye patches they are the same pale brown colour as the rest of the animal.

The Japanese name for the badger is anaguma. However, in the area where this badger was captured, the badger is known as mujina.

This badger was caught by a farmer, as it had been raiding the his crops. The farmer told the photographer that he did not intend to kill the badger. Probably he released it elsewhere.

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Picture credit

© Claude Aubert, and used with his permission.

(Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.)

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