Coyotes and Foxes–we have a role in their survival By Sasan Beni
Wild City TBG Seasonal Gardener
Photos: Howling Coyote, Peter Shutt: Top photo,Sasan Beni. Illustrations: June Anderson
in the
o
ur city is a forest. I’ve known this for quite some time. Toronto parks and ravines are home to a wide array of animals—some year-round residents, some migratory—all of whom have to traverse our ever-growing canopy of concrete and glass, our roadways of exhausted commuters, our pollution and pets. I have always enjoyed catching glimpses of our wild neighbours, studying their movements. Like us, they have their routines and daily chores, their favourite spots and meals, but they have to contend with more threats than we do on a daily basis. I am no longer surprised by the abundance of wildlife that I find, the close proximity of their homes to ours, or their growing level of comfort. What surprises me these days is that many Torontonians have no idea that these creatures are there, right ‘next door’—in the mound of dirt behind the back fence, or the hole in the retaining wall—and I very much enjoy making the introductions, when and where I can.
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summer 2021
