When we see wildlife in our neighborhoods, it seems like we hit the lotto. They are rare gems to spot and even get a picture. Most of the time, we are happy to see them. However, when people let their cats roam freely, the cat can encounter wildlife that may be less than friendly. Recently, researchers have found that cats have been responsible for killing millions of birds, many of which they didn’t even eat. Roaming cats are also at risk for disease, car accidents, and getting eaten by other animals. The cat in today’s observation narrowly escaped these coyotes!
Often we talk about cats bring kept indoors for the safety of small wild animals. We should also mention that cats themselves are safer indoors. As this one found out when these coyotes chased it up a tree.
Props to Allyson Seconds for capturing this intense moment. pic.twitter.com/cil2ZQvqeS
— Jason Ward (@JasonWardNY) February 8, 2020
Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, let Lindsay know or Tweet at us and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!
I am interested in urban ecology and evolution. Urbanization can have drastic impacts on local ecosystems, both negative and positive, and creates a new environment for organisms to experience. To understand the impacts that urbanization plays on organisms, I look through the lense of population genetics and molecular evolution.
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