Creature Feature. Buds on the Prowl

This remarkable footage shows the cooperation that exists between two predators. The coyote encourages the badger to follow him through the culvert as they hunt together; the badger obligingly follows, waddling through the culvert behind the coyote's lead. People think predators are normally intolerant of other predators, but Nature is not that simple. Coyotes and badgers often hunt together because the chances of making a kill are increased; they also kill and eat each other. This video shows cooperation in action. Their comfortable familiarity with the other, and their intelligence is obvious.

Perhaps we, as a species, are discarding the mistaken perception of animals as stimulus and response, biological robots.  They have complex social lives and recognize other animals as individuals. Distinctive personality traits are observable in animals living in distinct environments.  Researchers have shown population level genetic changes between urban dwellers and country dwellers of the same species, such as coyotes.  So it is understandable that sensitive humans have given animals human-like personalities in their stories and legends--not just romanticized exaggeration, but reflective of what they saw occurring in Nature. Animals are dynamic, complex, thinking beings--sentient beings--that deserve our respect and compassion.  This video was taken in the Bay Area and is the first time the behavior was captured on camera there.