What are city animals?
T
he animals we’ll be looking at in this book are wild animals that make their homes in cities. A wild animal is any animal living in its natural state – not one that’s looked after or controlled by humans. Pets or farm animals are not wild animals.
Old and new Some wild animals have lived with humans for many thousands of years and have come to depend on us, like house mice and house sparrows. Others have arrived in cities more recently, like baboons and penguins in Cape Town, South Africa; mountain lions in Los Angeles, USA; or wild boars in Rome, Italy.
Global and local Some wild animals are found in cities all around the world. They include cockroaches, rats, house sparrows and pigeons. Others, like the leopards of Mumbai, are only found in one or a few cities.
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