OK I'll admit that New York can get pretty wild at times, hell, most times but lately it's getting downright ridiculous. Once I started caring for my feral colony I began to pay more attention to the wildlife coexisting with us in our Brooklyn neighborhood.
Personal sightings of opossums and raccoons happen occasionally but the wee hours of the morning when I discovered a raccoon on my front doorstep was nature coming too close for comfort. Rocky Raccoon was thrilled to see us and you could just see from the expression on his face he was all ready to accept the open door invitation by strolling right in. That wasn't happening - we shut the door fast deciding if we ever again forget to put out the garbage the night before pickup we'd have to wait until the next pickup date. Our sanitation guys come between 5 and 6 AM a time when raccoons are winding up their evenings for the trek back to Green-Wood Cemetery.
That incident got me thinking about what other wildlife beyond feral cats, numerous birds, garden-variety squirrels and rodents New Yorkers share their space with. Besides possums and raccoons, Green-Wood boasts groundhogs. This Artie and I know for a fact having seen the little guys sitting by or peeking out of their burrows during our many walks through the cemetery.
Coyotes have been sighted in the Bronx and the newest sighting - skunks in Central Park. Any number of dogs can attest to the validity of this statement; humans as well. It seems the little guys are spraying pooches that get too close; some humans have smelt their presence without experiencing a run-in. In any event, the skunks made the news yesterday and today. Apparently it's a bit of a migratory thing. I hope they don't decide the accommodations in Manhattan aren't to their liking and move to the outer boroughs - we have enough diversity as it is.
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| There goes the neighborhood! Photo from the West Side Rag |
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