Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

Three decapitated badgers were discovered in the garbage bin behind Lisac's Tri-Stop on Harrison Avenue in Butte on Tuesday afternoon.

A store employee noticed a foul odor coming from behind the building and notified the store owner, Elaine Lisac.

Lisac said, "The smell was just horrific."

Lisac saw that the animals' paws had been removed, and the bodies were skinned and placed into separate plastic bags.

She immediately called Animal Control, who initially told Lisac the bodies were wolverines.

Later, they were confirmed to be badgers, according to Lisac.

"We were just relieved they weren't dogs," Lisac said.

In Montana, badgers are considered a non-game species, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

They can be hunted and trapped recreationally throughout the year.