The Salt Lake Tribune July 2, 2001 Pet Owners Fear a Voracious Badger Is Feasting on Cats BY LISA ROSKELLEY special to the tribune MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE A badger did it. One of the nocturnal omnivores with stubby legs and a cantankerous attitude is being blamed for the disappearance of a number of animals especially cats from a neighborhood in Marriott-Slaterville, just west of Ogden. Dallas, Cleopatra and Goblin are the latest felines belonging to Angela Erwin and her family to disappear. "Not even their bodies are found," says Erwin, who has lost two other cats in the past two months in addition to chickens, ducks and rabbits. Since April, city officials have re-ceived 25 complaints of missing animals. One resident, whose family lost 10 cats, recently filmed a badger near his house. Erwin's brother, Marriott-Slaterville City Administrator Bill Morris, has seen the video. "We know it's a badger. The question is whether it is the badger which is doing the killing," Morris says. Officials with the Division of Wildlife Resources have their doubts. Lou Cornicelli, wildlife program manager for DWR's northern regional office, says it's hard to believe a badger is responsible for consuming 20 cats in two months. "In 12 years at my job, I've never heard of badgers systemati-cally killing cats, as a hobby or as a food source," Cornicelli says. DWR biologist Jon Leatham is even more skeptical. "A cat that's worth being a cat wouldn't be caught by a badger," Leatham says, noting that a badger's short legs are built more for burrowing than chasing cats. Leatham says more likely culprits are raccoons, red foxes, coyotes, owls, bobcats or even mountain lions. All are indigenous to the area around the farming community of 1,425 people. Leatham suggests it also could be someone in the neighborhood trapping the pets. Longtime resident JoAnn Wright says she never has seen a badger in the area. "I'd suspect the neighbors more than a badger," says Wright, who keeps her three small dogs in her house at night. Even if a badger is responsible, residents are being urged to leave it alone because it is a protected animal. Morris says if the problem persists, DWR would be asked to trap the badger. But DWR officials say that is unlikely because the agency's traps would be more likely to snare a family pet than a pesky badger. Mayor Keith Butler says bothering a badger could complicate the issue. "It's fairly close to the river and the badger may have some friends down there," Butler says. "He might bring them back if we harass him too much and they just might devour the place." 72