Going Wild in the City
A few months ago, a family of young coyotes moved into my normally uneventful East York neighbourhood. (Shoutout Topham Park!) We live pretty close to a ravine, so it's not unusual for wildlife to pass through from time to time. But for whatever reason, this group seems to have decided to stay.
Like many of my neighbours, at first I marveled at their beauty. But as the coyotes have become more comfortable around humans and their actions more brazen, many of us are now hoping that these wild animals find their way back to the ravine.
While this particular case may be unusual, it reminds me that even though we live in the city, we are never that far away from wildlife. There are approximately 8,000 hectares of parkland within the city of Toronto, about half of which are natural areas such as ravines and woodlands. Altogether, parks make up 12.7% of our city's land base, which is a lot for a city of our size.
Our furry neighbours often live right under our noses, but since people and wildlife don't always get along, they usually do a pretty good job of staying away from us.
As citizens of the raccoon capital of the world, most of us have seen those masked garbage-bandits by now. We're also pretty familiar with the telltale stink of a nearby skunk. And of course, squirrels are so commonplace that most of us barely even notice them.
But did you know that Toronto is also home to numerous other species of wild mammals, including red foxes, bats, minks, beavers, woodchucks, opossums, voles and rabbits? I couldn't believe my luck one time when I was riding the bus and looked up just in time to see a deer in the park, having just emerged from the woods near the Taylor-Massey Creek.
Although the cause is up for debate, the coyotes in my neighbourhood might be an effect of urban development, which causes habitat loss for wild animals and drives them further into urban areas in their efforts to survive. As these types of human-animal encounters become more common, it seems increasingly clear that we will need to get better at sharing our spaces with our wild animal neighbours.
Wild About Books
One of the first steps toward coexisting with animals is learning more about them. Thankfully, many wonderful books have been published in the last few years.
Peggy Kochanoff, 2018
Canadian author Peggy Kochanoff explores urban plant and animal species through such questions as, “Why are there so many pigeons in the city?” and "Why are some grey squirrels black?" (For real!) There are sections on coyotes, dandelions, starlings, foxes, seagulls and even bedbugs (Ew!) and more.
Elizabeth Carney, 2019
This Beginning Reader is full of fun, interesting facts. For instance, city raccoons are smarter than country raccoons (must be from figuring out how to open those green bins!), and pigeons release more than 25 million pounds of poop each year over New York City.
Going Wild: Helping Nature Thrive in Cities
Michelle Mulder, 2018
This informative book for older children explores the many ways that nature thrives, often in spite of human intervention. It also provides concrete examples of small and large ways that individual citizens and city planners can help make cities more nature-friendly.
Antonia Banyard, 2019
This simple board book for the littlest nature lovers identifies some of the animals we most commonly see in cities.
Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, and the Rise of Urban Wildlife
Amy Cherrix, 2018
The city of Asheville, North Carolina, is home to 90,000 humans and several hundred black bears. How did this happen? What can and should be done, if anything? This well-researched book raises important questions about conservation and urbanization.
Wild in the Streets: 20 Poems of City Animals
Marilyn Singer; Illustrated by Gordy Wright, 2019
From wild boars in Berlin and river crabs in Rome to pigeons…practically everywhere, this collection has poems for 20 wild city animals and includes interesting facts about each species. The illustrations are detailed and inviting.
Wild in the City: A Guide to Urban Animals Around the World
Kate Baker; Illustrated by Gianluca Folì, 2019
This illustrated guide has sections devoted to mammals, reptiles and amphibians, bugs and birds. Many facts will shock you. For instance, 40 leopards live in Mumbai, India, roaming the streets at night. Yikes!
Want to Learn More?
There are many other ways that you can learn about and explore nature in our city.
The City of Toronto’s Biodiversity Booklet Series are a wildly popular resource in libraries. Right now, you can pick up a copy of the Birds of Toronto at any branch across the city, while supplies last. Look for the other booklets as they become available, borrow a copy from your nearest branch, or check them out online in PDF format.
Explore High Park through guided, pay-by-donation nature walks for the whole family.
This amazing lakefront park is home to over 300 species of birds. Join one of their events such as the winter bird count, or explore on your own with your family.
Enjoy free guided walks in Canada’s first national urban park.
Where do you like to explore the wild in the city? Share your experiences exploring Toronto's wildlife in the comments below!
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