What wild animals are moving into town?

Cities and their suburbs present a wealth of opportunities for wildlife. However, an unbalanced diet of fast food and junk can make them obese. Some creatures cause damage and carry disease, making them very unwelcome visitors. But this is not the case for all species. Here are some examples of animals that have settled in cities around the world:

• The peregrine falcon makes its home in cities across North America and Europe, nesting on skyscrapers and hunting pigeons.
• Foxes have long roamed the streets of England at night. They are more likely to eat rats there than takeout meals.
• Herring gulls congregate in coastal and off-shore towns in the UK, gaining weight by eating fatty foods like fish and chips.
• The Virginia opossum, the only marsupial native to North America, learns to satisfy its big appetite by stealing trash from municipal garbage cans.

• Coyotes have been observed in New York City, United States, for at least a century, leaving the forests to roam the city parks in search of food.
• North American raccoons loot leftover food from household garbage cans. Studies show that they develop health problems because of it.
• Red kangaroos are frequent visitors to Australia’s capital, Canberra, seeking food in parks and gardens when food is scarce in the bush.
• Crab-eating macaques have taken over the Thai town of Lopburi to the delight of locals, who revere them as the reincarnation of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman.

• In Singapore, a clean-up campaign has brought smooth-coated otters back to the city’s waterways. These once poisonous rivers are now home not only to otters, but also to fish.

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