New York City’s infamous ‘TriBeCa Coyote’ was caught by the police recently, apparently not smart enough to evade New York’s finest. Wild animals are reclaiming the concrete jungle of Manhattan, and residents seem to be getting used to seeing white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks, beavers and cunning coyotes; it ends most and reminds some that they are still part of nature. The one-year-old female coyote from TriBeCa led police on a two-day chase through the neighborhood. She eventually got trapped in a parking lot, where she was shot with a tranquilizer dart and taken to the animal control center in East Harlem. Her fate is unknown, but she was not the only coyote sighted this year. Coyotes thrive largely because of their ability to adapt and because their natural predator has been nearly eradicated, the wolf. However, several wolves roam freely in Los Angeles.
Environmental laws, wildlife refuge reservations, pesticide bans, and tons of city trash have given wildlife a resurgence. Species that were once threatened will continue to recover due to conservation measures such as waterways becoming cleaner and greenways being built in and around the city. Outlying suburban development rips apart the land and drives animals out of their usual homes, forcing them to adapt or die.
Centuries ago, New York City used to be a swampy swamp, and the landscape was covered with trees and a diverse cross-section of wildlife called this place home; Cougars, wolves, wild turkeys, and bears used the area now called Manhattan as their playgrounds. The waterways were a thriving sanctuary for tarpon and sturgeon. The Atlantic Flyway bird flew over New York City en route to once-lush wetlands now home to buildings or parking lots. However, New York’s unique geographic location, which is sandwiched between northern and southern climates, creates a mild winter, making it easy for many species to survive.
No matter what wildlife has recovered, more have declined and New York City will hardly be considered a dense, populated forest from centuries ago. But eventually, if not now, New Yorkers will have to make some adjustments on their own. However, the question is, what kind of adaptation is necessary? Instead of leaving their garbage on the sidewalk, should they hang it from strings? If a moose wanders into town, should New Yorkers get out their hunting rifles? Or should they just accept the fact that nature has a way of reminding us, from time to time, that we’re not the only ones who need a safe place to live and raise a family?