Urban wildlife encounter!

[Saviolo]

Last edited Tue Oct 17, 2017, 10:49 AM - Edit history (1)

I live in Toronto, and there is lots of urban wildlife around here. Commonly seen are black and grey squirrels, many many extremely fat raccoons, more rarely we'll see possums, and then last night I ran into this fellow leaving my curling club!

Link to tweet

I was a little worried because it was lingering around the door to the club, and there were still people inside. I was worried that if someone came out and opened the door fast enough to startle the poor thing that someone would end up sprayed! Sadly, the club door was locked from the outside, so I was unable to warn anyone. Hopefully it wandered off and no one got sprayed!

[Sanity Claws]

1. Yes, that is an urban wildlife experience

To have a real Canadian urban wildlife experience, wouldn't you have to run into a beaver?

[Saviolo]

2. None of them really live in urban environments

I've seen beavers, but well outside of the city. I have seen muskrats, long-tailed weasels (around the island), and apparently there are mink around, too (though I've not seen those). We also have a breeding pair of Red Tailed Hawks in our neighbourhood, and a couple of Cooper's Hawks in another part of the city.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Bronx, NYC has 2 beavers

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/beaver-bronx-river-home-doubles-total-beaver-population-article-1.439691

Lots of Red tailed hawks here in NYC but never heard of long-tailed weasels around here.

I once saw a bobwhite in upper Manhattan.

[fleur-de-lisa]

3. Several possums live under my house.

As ugly as the adults are (the babies are cute) I will take my possums over your skunk any day!

[Saviolo]

4. I think we have a possum living under my porch!

I live next to a market in Toronto, so we have lots of very fat and well-fed trash mammals, including raccoons, skunks, rats, and possums. It's rare to see any rats around, honestly. The city puts out traps to keep populations down, but you catch a glimpse from time to time. Raccoons are ubiquitous here. In fact, Toronto may be accidentally breeding super raccoons through all of our efforts to keep them out of the garbage!

[Laffy Kat]

6. Possums are great to have around.

They eat ticks and reduce disease. No real downside.

http://www.snopes.com/opossums-kill-ticks-inhibit-the-spread-of-lyme-disease/

[lastlib]

7. Skunks ALWAYS have the right-of-way!!

Once I was out in the woods in January, with a couple inches of snow on the ground, looking for a cow that I knew was about to have a calf. Just walking along, looking around, and I spotted a mother skunk and three babies marching through the snow in a perfectly straight line--right toward me. Remembering the rule above (Skunks ALWAYS have the right-of-way!!), I stopped and stood perfectly still. Mama skunk walked right over the toe of my boots, ignoring that I was even there(!), and children followed right behind! Four skunks walked over the toes of my boots, tails up, and never even flinched or broke their stride. Of course, I didn't flinch, either!

[Kali]

8. only time I have ever seen a skunk spray is when a dog is around (not counting road kill)

and then it is almost EVERY time!