Badger Cubs, Yellowstone National Park

I spent  lot of time photographing these badger cubs and their mom in the spring of 2014.  I kept waiting for all three of them to show their faces to the camera and do something interesting.  This photo is the best I got.

I think these little guys were enjoying their little fight.  It’s more than just fun though. When their mom sends them into that big world away from her and the den site they’ll need to be able to defend themselves.   When I’ve observed a mother predator with only one offspring, the mother always take the place of a sibling and play-fights with the little one to teach it that life-saving skill of defending itself.