They make rather terrible footballers, and even worse pets – so Vinnie Jones has been warned about his new badger friend Brock.
Vinnie posted a video of himself cuddling unusually tame Brock in his living room, and nuzzling his pal – despite being bitten, while Brock made attempts to leap off his lap.
He said: “This is my best mate in the whole world.
“He loves the X Factor.”
The Badger Trust warned of Brock’s “powerful claws and jaws” which can cause injuries. “The only people who should handle badgers are people who are qualified to do so for rescue purposes,” they said.
And with good reason. In 2003, a badger named Boris received too much human contact, prompting him to go on a rampage attacking people on their way home from a pub. One of his victims required surgery.
Vinnie – who warned social media users not to hug badgers in their homes – insisted Brock is “not a pet”, explaining: “He hangs around my friends’ farm and will always help himself to scraps.”
The Trust also noted that anyone interfering with the protected species in a way that removes or harms them from their sett could face a £5,000 fine or six months in prison.
But, they added: “Vinnie clearly likes badgers and is in no way seeking to harm them. This is something we welcome at the Badger Trust.”
Just don’t put them in goal.