Coyote and Badger On An Adventure

This video of a young coyote and a badger has gone viral.  This notoriety is due in large part to the playful behavior of the coyote and the way the two seem to be on an adventure together.   Behavioralist Jennifer Campbell-Smith sees something more than just a cute video.  She sees a lesson in animal behavior that illustrates the growing understanding that animal behavior is more than stimulus and response, but is often based on the "personality" of the individual animals themselves.

Scientifically, we are finally emerging from a dark period of studying nature simply as a stimulus-and-instinct-driven movie that humans can observe — the kind of thinking used to justify government-funded culls and mass indiscriminate killing of native species. Recent research demonstrates the cognitive and cultural capabilities of non-human animals, as well as the importance of their proclivities and personalities, and more data keep piling up.

This video comes from the Bay Area's Open Space Trust.  Please support their work.