Pensioner forced to fight off badger who broke into house

A pensioner was forced to fight off an over-friendly badger with a broom, after it sneaked into his house and made its way upstairs.

Graham Rait, 74, thought one of his grandchildren had left a toy at the house, before the animal lifted its head and showed its teeth.

The retired company director said: ‘I was absolutely gobsmacked – badgers are supposed to be nocturnal. He was just sitting there curled up.

‘My immediate reaction was that it was one of my grandchild’s furry toys, but then it started moving.’

The shocked pensioner shouted for his wife Hazel, 73, who was equally surprised to see the furry creature inside the house.

After taking a few quick photos, the couple tried their best to gently remove the badger from their home in Isham, Northamptonshire.

‘I had to persuade him out with a broom – the poor badger was absolutely stinking.’

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Mr Rait continued: ‘They are dangerous, I wouldn’t have gone near it with my hands, It was showing its teeth.’

But when they tried to push the animal in the right direction, it quickly ran into their garage.

They were then forced to ring the RSPCA.

‘I told them that I hadn’t been drinking. I was worried they wouldn’t believe me,’ Mr Rait said.

‘The man from the RSPCA said he had never heard of a badger coming into someone’s house before and that it was very unusual.

‘He also reminded us how dangerous badgers can be – he told us that one of his colleagues had lost two fingers to a badger that he had mistaken for dead.’

Inspectors were able to safely remove the badger, and thanked the couple for their quick reaction.

‘We ought to keep the door shut more,’ Mr Rait added, “but I never thought we’d have to worry about a badger breaking in.”

The couple assumed the badger crept in after they left their back door open for their Labrador, Pepper, to get back into the house.

An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘We are very grateful to the gentleman for contacting us, as the badger was suffering a great deal.’