Beneath a clear blue sky in the Point Reyes National Seashore earlier this month, a young American badger paused at the mouth of a carrier, sniffed the breeze, and peered across the grasslands before breaking into a bounding run.
Within seconds, it disappeared into the landscape.
For the veterinarians, biologists, and park rangers gathered to watch, the release marked the end of an unlikely nine-month effort that involved multiple surgeries, months of rehabilitation, and more…