While wildlife is not the first thing to come to mind for most when picturing cities and suburbs, urban wildlife species play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity in regions where humans dominate the land. I volunteered for several years in urban wildlife rehabilitation, working with species including seabirds, shorebirds, opossums, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits and more- and I learned a great deal of information on the most common types of human-wildlife conflict in urban areas. Based on my own personal experience and some research, here are some things everyone can do to protect native wildlife in their own neighborhoods.
Always stop to help an animal in need- but make sure that the animal actually needs your help.
While it’s critical to help injured wildlife get the assistance they need, many well-intentioned people try to “help” baby animals who do not need help at all, causing more harm than good.
If you spot a baby animal who you believe to be orphaned, call your local wildlife rehabilitation facility and ask how you can go about determining whether this is true. Many species leave their young alone for hours at a time- deer, for example, leave their fawns for up to twelve hours straight. Many birds leave the nest before they are fully able to fly, and will remain on the ground as “fledglings” who can hop place to place as they grow in their flight feathers, all while their parents continue to feed them. Many people mistakenly believe that fledglings “fell out of the nest” or that baby mammals have “been abandoned,” and will accidentally kidnap a baby whose best chance of survival is with his or her mother. Typically, unless a baby animal is obviously physically injured or ill, in distress (panting, crying out, following humans), or in a particularly dangerous location, it is best to leave them be: but you can always phone your local wildlife rehabilitation facility for advice if you want to make sure a baby is safe.
Never feed wildlife, and secure potential food sources such as trash cans, pet food, fruit trees, etc.
While feeding wildlife seems like a kind idea, it often causes more harm to the animals than it helps them. Ducks can develop a condition called “angel wings” in which malnutrition causes them to lose their ability to fly when fed a diet of bread, and wild animals fed by humans can lose their natural instinct to fear us, increasing their likelihood of encountering a human with cruel intentions, crossing dangerous roads, approaching people with dogs, biting people and being killed as a result, and more. Raccoons can spread fatal diseases such as distemper to one another when they gather in large groups to feed, and become incredibly dangerous to humans when they lose their fear of us.
If you want to help ensure the survival of your neighborhood wildlife, look into planting native plants and trees which naturally provide food and shelter to animals and insects (such as milkweed for Monarch butterflies, or hummingbird-friendly flowers).
Keep your cats inside.
This one is an inconvenient truth for many people, and is a subject of extreme anger and controversy in the animal welfare and conservation world. Most people are aware that their cats pose a threat to native wildlife, but may be unsure of the extent: the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that cats kill an average of 2.4 billion birds and 6.3 - 22.3 billion mammals annually. They are solely responsible for the extinctions of several reptiles,
amphibians, birds and mammals around the world.
Some people believe that their cats do not kill wildlife because they never witness it, but studies indicate that cats only bring home a fraction of their kills. During my time as a volunteer, I saw hundreds of animals severely wounded by cats, and because cats carry a deadly bacteria in their mouths, most of these animals died if they were not found immediately after the attack and started on antibiotics right away. Bells on cat collars don’t protect wildlife, either: fledging birds who cannot yet fly are completely helpless when faced with a cat, regardless of if the cat is wearing a bell. The great indoors is the safest place for your cat, too: it’s free of parasites, cars, dogs, dangerous wildlife such as coyotes, humans with cruel intentions, harsh weather, and so much more.
Could you imagine how people would react if we allowed our dogs to run unleashed through neighborhoods, killing every small animal in sight? Please be a responsible pet caretaker and bring your cats indoors- give them enrichment items and toys to keep them busy and content. Animals are resilient and your cat will adapt with time. Your local wildlife will thank you!
Volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation!
I can’t begin to express how fascinating it is to get up close with and handling wild species- and anyone can do it by simply volunteering. Wildlife rehabilitation volunteers take tasks anywhere from feeding and cleaning, to, for those who want to take the time to learn, restraining animals for medical exams, bottle feeding orphaned babies, giving sub Q fluids to dehydrated new arrivals, setting up animal enclosures, participating in releases, and more. Volunteers with a high level of commitment can even provide home care for baby animals, raising them in the home until they are old enough to prepare for release into the wild. It’s an opportunity that everyone with the ability to take advantage of should do. Wildlife rehabilitation facilities cannot function without their volunteers, so your work as a volunteer is lifesaving, and there is no feeling as rewarding and special as knowing this.
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