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THE WILD — It's easy to be startled in darkness, especially when you wander out into wild habitats.
A few years ago, a badger quietly wandered within a few feet of me on one of the city's foothill trails as I took night photos of the Salt Lake City skyline.
Judging by our joint reactions, I don't think either of us expected to run into each other. I quickly reared my head back and blurted out an audible gasp, while the creature shot up in the air and ran out into the darkness from whence it came.
It's the only encounter I've had with the species and I still cackle every time I think about it.
That brings me to this video from North Carolina's wild lands taken earlier this month. A camera set up near a trail in the woods captures a deer and raccoon munching on grass during the early morning hours.
Whether a fight over food, incidental contact or a prank between two creatures, the raccoon suddenly jolts toward the deer, clearly frightening it. The deer leaps into the night sky, topples a nearby object and bolts out of the area as quickly as possible.
Listen, after my nighttime encounter with a badger, I get it.
Hopefully, the deer can laugh it off if it runs into a raccoon ever again.
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