From wild boars to hyenas, many species of wildlife are attracted to urban areas and thrive in the world’s major cities.
Fox
Every night, as dusk falls on cities across Europe, red foxes come out of their hiding places and begin prowling the streets. Sometimes, they wander naturally among pedestrians or rummage through trash cans. This adaptable omnivore will forage for natural foods such as wild berries and insects, supplemented by pigeons and leftovers from the trash.
Foxes have mixed with humans for millennia. Today, foxes thrive in urban areas, with a density of 18 foxes per square kilometer in London alone. They are also found in American cities, especially in the Northeast.
Coyote
Coyotes have become rife in American cities in recent decades. They are opportunistic scavengers, willing to eat anything, including mice, rabbits, frogs, lizards, and leftovers from trash cans. A 2022 study analyzing the diet of coyotes in New York City found they eat large mammals like deer and raccoons as well as human food like chicken, pigs, and beef. Their flexible diet helps them adapt well to urban life. But scientists warn that coyotes eating leftover food can pose a threat to humans because they often carry parasites and unhealthy bacteria.
Gulls
In coastal areas, seagulls are ferocious opportunistic foragers, invading cities and towns to steal food from picnics, barbecues or even steal snacks from the streets. Declining fish stocks and loss of natural habitat push seagulls to look elsewhere for food, including cities and landfills. Over time, they accumulate proficiency in getting food from trash or directly from humans, according to researcher Paul Graham at the University of Sussex, England.
Boar
Wild boar scavenge in Teufelssee, Germany. Image: Ingolf König-Jablonski/dpa
Despite their reclusive nature, the allure of peri-urban life urges wild boars to step into the light. From the hills of Hong Kong to the beaches of Marbella in the Mediterranean, wild boars are scavenging for waste. In Berlin, they sleep in a float tank. Wherever there are wild boars, local authorities or extermination teams are usually quick to track them down.
In the US, wild boars are also considered an invasive species. With a population of about 6 million animals and growing, at least 35 states have recorded wild boar occurrences. As a result, annual losses of US crops such as peanuts and corn are estimated at $2.5 billion.
Hyenas
Hyenas are famous vicious species in the animal kingdom. But this scavenger isn’t all bad. Hyenas provide major health and economic benefits to African cities, according to a 2021 study by the University of Michigan. In total, hyenas remove 207 tons of animal carcasses annually in Mekelle, a city in northern Ethiopia, preventing transmission of anthrax and bovine tuberculosis among residents as well as cattle, sheep and goats. In the eastern Ethiopian city of Harar, they wander inside the city at night, eating leftover food and meat left behind by butchers.
Butter
Elephants often scavenge piles of trash on the outskirts of Kotdwar, a city in northern India’s Uttarakhand district. They probe the waste with their proboscis, sometimes stopping to devour any tidbits they spot. They are among the largest animals on the planet, belonging to the Asian elephant species. Kotdwar, a fast-growing city of an estimated 45,000 residents, is located on the edge of the forest where elephants live. While many cities are springing up near the forest, that development provides elephants with an unexpected source of food. Elephants living near Kotdwar are especially familiar with a life of scavenging. But all their fecal samples contained plastic bags, food containers or even disposable cutlery, according to the research team at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
A study of elephants foraging in garbage dumps in southern Sri Lanka found they were in better shape than elephants that did not eat human trash. But there are many reports of elephants dying from eating large amounts of plastic waste. In addition, the risk of human-elephant conflict could lead to fatal consequences for both sides.
Bear
Grizzly bears sneak into people’s homes in British Columbia, Canada. Image: CBC
In the US, accidents caused by bears approaching humans are increasingly common. Grizzly bears are accustomed to living in the west, while black bears are commonly distributed in forested areas across the country. They are extremely intelligent species with extremely sensitive noses and voracious nature, willing to travel long distances to find food.
Most conflicts with bears occur when human food, such as trash, dog treats or fruit trees, is available. Bears are often caught breaking into people’s homes to steal food. While bear hunting is still allowed in some US states, wildlife management authorities are educating communities on how to live peacefully with bears.