Dear EarthTalk: Why do some wild animals live in cities more than in rural areas?
-- L.K. via email
kAm(96? A6@A=6 E9:?< @7 H:=5=:76[ E96J @7E6? A:4EFC6 2?:>2=D H2?56C:?8 :? ?2EFC6] w@H6G6C[ :? E96 A2DE `d J62CD[ D4:6?E:DED 92G6 7@F?5 >@C6 2?:>2=D >@G:?8 :?E@ 2?5 E9C:G:?8 :? 4:E:6D � D@>6E:>6D 6G6? >@C6 DF446DD7F==J E92? :? E96:C ?2EFC2= 923:E2ED]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 =62C?:?8 23@FE H9J 2?:>2=D 2C6 >@G:?8 E@ 4:E:6D[ :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E FC32? 2?5 CFC2= >62?] &C32? 2C62D 2C6 56?D6=J A@AF=2E65 C68:@?D 5@>:?2E65 3J 9F>2? 24E:G:EJ] #FC2= 2C62D 2C6 DA2CD6=J A@AF=2E65 H:E9 >@C6 ?2EFC2= 64@DJDE6>D] (:=5=:76 E92E DF446DD7F==J 252AE E@ 4:EJ =:76 2C6 @7E6? 42==65 FC32? H:=5=:76] &?=:<6 CFC2= 2C62D[ H96C6 2?:>2=D C6=J @? D62D@?2= 7@@5 4J4=6D[ E96 FC32? 6?G:C@?>6?E AC@G:56D E96> H:E9 >@C6 AC65:4E23=6 7@@5 D@FC46D DF49 2D H2DE6 3:?D[ A6E 7@@5D 2?5 C6DE2FC2?E H2DE6[ 6?DFC:?8 2 DE625J 7@@5 DFAA=J] %9FD[ 2?:>2=D 6?5FC6 92CD96C 923:ED :? CFC2= 2C62D[ =625:?8 E@ 8C62E6C >:8C2E:@? :?E@ E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm“p?645@E2==J[ H6 D66 9:89 56?D:E:6D @7 4@J@E6D :? ?2EFC6 AC6D6CG6D 2?5 FC32? A2C<D[� D2:5 t>:=J +6A652[ @7 E96 $49@@= @7 t?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D 7C@> ~9:@ $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ] “p=D@[ :? =@H\:?4@>6 2C62D[ 4@J@E6D 2C6 ` `^a E:>6D >@C6 =:<6=J E@ DFCG:G6 E@ 286 a E92? :? 9:89\:?4@>6 2C62D[� 5F6 E@ E96 2>@F?E @7 9F>2? 7@@5 H2DE6] %96 AC6D6?46 @7 9F>2?D 5:D4@FC286D ?2EFC2= AC652E@CD[ F?=:<6 CFC2= 2C62D H96C6 AC652E:@? :D 2 >2;@C E9C62E E@ H:=5=:76] %9FD[ 2?:>2=D AC676C 4:E:6D[ 2D E96J 42? E9C:G6 H:E9 =6DD 4@>A6E:E:@?] |@C6@G6C[ FC32? D6EE:?8D AC@G:56 2?:>2=D H:E9 D96=E6C[ DF49 2D A2C<D 2?5 DF3FC32? 8C66? DA246D] p=D@[ H2C>6C >:4C@4=:>2E6D :? 4:E:6D >2<6 DFCG:G2= 62D:6C 7@C 2?:>2=D E92E DECF88=6 :? 4@=56C CFC2= 2C62D]k^Am
kAm&C32? H:=5=:76 :D 252AE:?8 E@ 4:E:6D :? >2?J H2JD] {2FC6? $E2?E@?[ 2 !9s 42?5:52E6 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (J@>:?8[ D2JD E92E C244@@?D :? %@C@?E@ �2C6 >2<:?8 C2A:5 2DD@4:2E:@?D[ 2?5 E96J 42? 2=E6C E96:C 3692G:@C]� %@ 7:?5 >@C6 7@@5 D@FC46D[ 2?:>2=D 92G6 =62C?65 E@ DJ?49C@?:K6 E96:C 3692G:@C H:E9 9F>2? 24E:G:EJj 7@C 6I2>A=6[ C244@@?D 92G6 =62C?65 E@ 86E :?D:56 CF33:D9 3:?D H:E9 D64FC6=J =@4<65 =:5D] p?5 A:86@?D EJA:42==J ?6DE @? 4=:77D[ 2?5 2 >F=E:\DE@CJ 3F:=5:?8 :D :?5665 2 EJA6 @7 4=:77[ 2=36:E >2?>256] %96C67@C6[ 252AE:?8 E@ 4:E:6D :D?’E 92C5 7@C E96 A:86@?D 5F6 E@ AC6252AE2E:@?]k^Am
kAm{:G:?8 :? 4:E:6D 2D FC32? H:=5=:76 :D?’E 62DJ] %96C6 :D 2 C:D< @7 G69:4=6 4@==:D:@?D[ 923:E2E 7C28>6?E2E:@? 2?5 9F>2?\H:=5=:76 4@?7=:4E] %9@FD2?5D @7 2?:>2=D 5:6 6249 J62C @? C@25D] wF>2?D 2C6 2=D@ 2E C:D<] p?:>2=D 42FD6 D6C:@FD C@25 92K2C5D] q62CD 3C62< :?E@ 9@>6D 2?5 82C286D E@ D62C49 7@C 7@@5] &=E:>2E6=J[ 9F>2?D ?665 E@ 32=2?46 FC32?:K2E:@? H:E9 H:=5=:76 ?665D[ =:<6 6IA2?5:?8 ?2EFC2= 923:E2ED[ E9@F89E7F= 4:EJ A=2??:?8 2?5 H:=5=:76 4@CC:5@CD E@ 6?DFC6 2 7FEFC6 H96C6 3@E9 DA64:6D 42? =:G6 E@86E96C D276=J 2?5 A62467F==J]k^Am
