Twice this year, I've received questions about a native mammal popping up in unexpected places.

No, not a grizzly bear, for goodness sakes. Think much smaller. Try a badger and a long-tailed weasel.

Both mammals showed up on their native prairie of northcentral Montana, but where they're not always visible to humans.

The questions were: Why have I never seen this animal before?

Let's answer that question with a riddle: If you see an animal for the first time in an area where it's native and has never disappeared, does that animal exist?

Both the badger and its cousin, the weasel are carniv...