The Antics of Badgers

The wonderful thing about wild animals is they always seem to have a few delightful surprises for us humans. Growing up in the midwest I knew what Badgers looked like thanks to zoos and wildlife shows (and hello, UW mascot!), but I had never actually seen one in the wild. Mostly because they tend to be nocturnal, but also because we were encouraged to avoid them if we ever encountered one. Word was they were fast, they were mean, and they were meat eaters.

Enough said. Impression made. Even as an animal loving seasoned camper, there would be uncomfortable visions when a strange rustling was heard outside the tent at night.

Fast forward many decades and I am surprised to learn badgers are also my wild neighbors in the desert southwest. Besides eating small rodents, reptiles, birds, and insects, they (my heroes) even eat scorpions and rattlesnakes. More amazingly, they are fastidious and like a house cat will bury their droppings and often grooms themselves.

And they are shockingly cute…