Foraging in the city
City dwellers in some areas don’t have to go to the zoo to observe wildlife. The biologist Bernhard Kegel has written a book on wild animals in urban centers with examples from around the world.
Shy hunters
Foxes are not uncommon in Berlin. In parks and green areas, they find shelter and a varied food supply. In addition to rats, mice and other small animals, foxes eat waste from garbage bins. They usually shy away from people. And a ban on feeding them aims to keep it that way.
From the steppe into the cities
An encounter with a coyote, on the other hand, can be dangerous. The wild dogs populate urban areas such as this park in Los Angeles. They prefer to hunt mice and rabbits. If they feel threatened by humans, they are known to react aggressively.
Lessons forgotten
"Big cities have unfortunately forgotten how to deal with wildlife properly," says the biologist Bernhard Kegel. In his recently published book "Tiere in der Stadt" (Animals in the City), Kegel writes about the newly occupied habitats of wild animals as well as the opportunities and risks associated with them - for humans and animals alike.
Friend or foe?
Stray dogs inflict numerous injuries on people in some regions, according to Bernhard Kegel. After a four-year-old child was bitten by stray dogs in Romania, the government allowed the animals to be killed. Caught dogs are allowed to be fed for only 14 days. If no new owner is found, they must be put down. Bucharest alone has some 64,000 stray dogs.
Passengers without a ticket
In Moscow, Bernhard Kegel has even observed stray dogs riding the subway. "They know exactly where they need to get out again," Kegel says. For the most part, the dogs and humans enjoy a peaceful coexistence, but problems do occur, he adds, when people with leashed dogs enter the territory of stray dogs.
Family trip
Although wild boars have not yet been spotted in subways, they don't mind the proximity to people and traffic noise. This sow is underway with her piglets in the middle of Berlin. "The clever animals realize very quickly that they are not prey here," says Bernhard Kegel.
Well-integrated
This raccoon prefers to dig in trash cans rather than dirt. The nocturnal predators are especially widespread in and around the city of Kassel. Their numbers have grown noticeably from the few introduced at nearby Lake Eder in 1934. The raccoon is not native to Germany; its natural habitat is in North America.
Holy and tame
Monkeys appear to be well-prepared for city life. Thanks to their climbing skills and dexterity, they have no trouble digging into trash. But in some countries, they don’t have to make the effort. In India, langurs embody the monkey god Hanuman, according to Hindu mythology, and are worshipped - and fed.
Treated with respect
This also applies to cows: In India, they naturally inhabit inner cities and are allowed to move around freely - even on roads. Accidents between cattle and cars are commonplace. About 40,000 cows live in the capital of New Delhi alone. Killing cows is banned in most Indian states.
"Jurassic Park" in Bangkok
Monitor lizards are penetrating the Thai capital. These primeval-looking reptiles can grow up to three feet long. Although their bite is poisonous, it's not life-threatening to humans. The food supply of insects, spiders and small animals is very abundant in green parts of the city, such as here in Lumpini Park.