While driving on H50 in Bent County I spotted some small animals right beside the highway ahead of me. Since I take active measures to avoid hitting animals, I slowed down and honked lightly when I close enough to scare them away from traffic. At first I thought they were probably racoons, but as I passed I saw that they were badgers. I turned around as soon as I could to get a better look and hopefully some pics. As I had scared them, they had retreated about 20 feet from the highway which is where I got the top pic. It was late in the afternoon with a overcast sky so the light wasn't good and I had to take my photos quickly before they got away (that's ok, I'd rather keep them off the highway than get close-up photos).
Everything on the web describes American Badgers as solitary except during mating and raising young so I expect that these are 3 young sibling badgers. In support of this, these 3 stayed close together like seen in the top pic (they were all 3 together as they climbed up the rocks but I only got 2 of them in the bottom pic). Also from what I've read on reputable internet sites, young badgers don't leave their mothers until late summer or early fall so it seems likely that something happened to the mother of these young. In keeping with their reputation of aggressiveness, one of them responded to the clicking of my camera by hissing at me. Note the long, furry tails visible in the lower pic. SeEtta
While driving on H50 in Bent County I spotted some small animals right beside the highway ahead of me. Since I take active measures to avoid hitting animals, I slowed down and honked lightly when I close enough to scare them away from traffic. At first I thought they were probably racoons, but as I passed I saw that they were badgers. I turned around as soon as I could to get a better look and hopefully some pics. As I had scared them, they had retreated about 20 feet from the highway which is where I got the top pic. It was late in the afternoon with a overcast sky so the light wasn't good and I had to take my photos quickly before they got away (that's ok, I'd rather keep them off the highway than get close-up photos).
Everything on the web describes American Badgers as solitary except during mating and raising young so I expect that these are 3 young sibling badgers. In support of this, these 3 stayed close together like seen in the top pic (they were all 3 together as they climbed up the rocks but I only got 2 of them in the bottom pic). Also from what I've read on reputable internet sites, young badgers don't leave their mothers until late summer or early fall so it seems likely that something happened to the mother of these young. In keeping with their reputation of aggressiveness, one of them responded to the clicking of my camera by hissing at me. Note the long, furry tails visible in the lower pic. SeEtta
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