Animals Taking Over Our Cities and Towns?
By M. K. Albus
@MKAlubs (455)
United States
August 18, 2016 8:47am CST
Many people are not even aware of it but most urban and suburban neighborhoods have vibrant ecosystems. There are plenty of birds and animals and bugs who happily live among humans. A town I used to live in had deer wandering the streets. Some cities in America are being overrun by coyotes. And there is a mountain lion living in the hills above Los Angeles. The little town I'm currently living in is filled with countless rabbits. Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning that they come out at sunrise and sunset. These are times when I like to go for walks and I am quite often blown away by how many rabbits live in this town. They're everywhere. So what kind of animals are taking over your neighborhood?
10 people like this
12 responses
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
18 Aug 16
We had a mountain lion saunter down our street yesterday morning, early. We get deer and jackrabbits, quail, all kinds of wildlife out back where we don't really have a "yard." We're backed up to some forest, and then canyon beyond that. All kinds of critters (including skunks) come up from the canyon. I just hope the lion hasn't taken our pretty doe. That is nature at work but it always makes me sad they can't just go to Safeway or something.
2 people like this
@MKAlubs (455)
• United States
18 Aug 16
Sometimes the prettiest animals are carnivores. It can be hard to take.Sometimes they're stinky. Once I was taking pictures by a mountain river and I jumped out onto a boulder that was about 4 feet out into the water. The boulder offered me better perspective for taking river photos. After taking some pictures I turned around to jump back to the riverbank and dry land when I froze in my tracks. Where I had been standing just a few minutes before, a skunk was now standing drinking water from the river. It was just 4 feet away from me. Without moving and just barely breathing, I stood on that boulder in the river watching the skunk take a very, very long drink of water. And then, after it had sated its thirst it began washing itself. It dipped its cute little paws into the river then rubbed them together. Then it dipped its paws back in the river and then wiped them over its face. It washed itself for a very, very long moment and then, with ablutions complete, it turned and wandered back into the forest. I stayed on the boulder in the river for a couple of extra minutes before jumping to land. I then continued my nature walk, now in an extremely heightened state of vigilance.
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
18 Aug 16
@MKAlubs LOL, it was taking its time, right? I'd be vigilant too.
1 person likes this
@sabtraversa (13032)
• Italy
18 Aug 16
My country is pretty urban, we don't have as many forests or fields as you do. 
However rats, bugs and pigeons are quite common in my city.
We also have crows, sparrows and magpies, but those are city birds as well.
Recently I've been hearing seagulls, they search for food in the dumps.
The wildlife here feels no need to "colonize" the cities, at the moment.
However rats, bugs and pigeons are quite common in my city.
We also have crows, sparrows and magpies, but those are city birds as well.
Recently I've been hearing seagulls, they search for food in the dumps.
The wildlife here feels no need to "colonize" the cities, at the moment.2 people like this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Aug 16
All sorts of animals, but I'm surrounded by woods, so I'm more in their neighborhood than they are in mine. :P
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Aug 16
Coyotes, raccoons, possums, even a skunk, squirrels. They feast on human refuse.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
19 Aug 16
I live in the country @MKAlubs so I get all kinds at my place: fox, squirrels, coyotes, wild boar, deer, opossums, raccoon's, packs of wild dogs, birds, rabbits, snakes; you name it. A lot of animals are being chased out of their natural habitats because of expansion of subdivisions.
@JESSY3236 (18953)
• United States
22 Aug 16
I have seen two rabbits, a raccoon (in daylight), cats, birds, and squirrels around here. My mother has seen a possum around here too.
@CaseyRoss9966 (4056)
• United States
22 Aug 16
Honestly we are taking over their homes not them taking over ours. The more we forest and habits we destroy for our own buildings the more and more animals that are going to coming into the already made towns because they have no where else to go. My college is in a small town that doesn't allow big business or brand name places build here . We have tons of wildlife including deer, rabbits, birds, turtles, bears, bobcats, chipmunks, etc. We should be enjoying these animals and let them live in peace in their own habitats because soon they might all be extinct and then we're all screwed because we need them to survive. My college town preserves nature and does a lot to keep the mountains up here clean of trash and keeping stray or hurt animals safe.
