Canada’s bustling cities are home to more than just people and pigeons. Wild animals have adapted remarkably well to urban life, thriving in parks, backyards, and even downtown streets. From clever predators to majestic birds of prey, these creatures share our neighborhoods in surprising ways.
While these animals live in urban areas, maintain a safe distance and never attempt to feed or approach wild animals. Contact local wildlife services if you encounter an animal that appears sick, injured, or aggressive.
1. Coyotes
With a haunting howl that echoes through city parks after dark, coyotes have become skilled urban survivors. They hunt rodents and rabbits in green spaces, keeping pest populations under control.
These adaptable predators often travel along railway corridors and river valleys to move between neighbourhoods. Most residents never spot them because coyotes are primarily nocturnal and extremely wary of humans, making them ghost-like neighbours in our concrete jungles.
2. Red Foxes
Sporting a luxurious russet coat and bushy tail, red foxes have traded forest dens for cozy spots beneath garden sheds. They’re surprisingly comfortable around people, sometimes raising kits right in suburban backyards.
These clever canines feast on everything from mice to fallen fruit, adapting their diet to whatever the city offers. Dawn and dusk are prime viewing times when foxes patrol their territories with an almost cat-like grace.
3. Peregrine Falcons
Skyscrapers have become modern-day cliff faces for peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on Earth. These raptors dive at speeds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour when hunting pigeons above city streets.
Conservation efforts brought them back from the brink of extinction in the 1970s. Now they nest on bridges, towers, and high-rises across Canadian cities, raising their young with spectacular aerial displays that thrill urban birdwatchers lucky enough to witness them.
4. White-Tailed Deer
Graceful yet surprisingly bold, white-tailed deer browse through city parks and residential gardens like they own the place. Their population has exploded in urban areas where hunting is prohibited and natural predators are scarce.
These large mammals cause headaches for gardeners who wake to find their prized flowers devoured overnight. Despite their beauty, deer can become aggressive during mating season, so admire them from a respectful distance and protect your plants with fencing.
5. River Otters
Few sights bring more joy than watching river otters slide and splash in urban waterways. These charismatic mammals have made comebacks in cities with cleaner rivers and streams, feasting on fish and crayfish.
Families of otters play together with infectious enthusiasm, tumbling over each other and diving repeatedly. Their presence indicates improving water quality, making them environmental success stories. Look for them along the Don River in Toronto or False Creek in Vancouver during early mornings.
6. Raccoons
Masked bandits of the night, raccoons have perfected the art of city living with their nimble paws and problem-solving brains. They open latches, climb fences, and remember where the best food sources are located.
Toronto has earned the nickname Raccoon Capital of the World due to its massive population of these clever critters. While undeniably cute, raccoons carry diseases and can damage property, so secure your garbage and never leave pet food outside overnight.
7. Snowy Owls
Like visitors from the Arctic, snowy owls occasionally descend on Canadian cities during winter months when food is scarce up north. These magnificent white raptors hunt during daylight hours, unlike most owl species.
Airport fields and waterfront areas become temporary hunting grounds where they scan for rodents and waterfowl. Birdwatchers flock to see these rare beauties, but getting too close stresses the birds, so observe from a distance and let them hunt in peace.
8. Beavers
Canada’s national symbol isn’t just a wilderness dweller anymore. Beavers engineer urban waterways by building dams in city creeks and ponds, creating wetland habitats that benefit countless other species.
Their tree-felling activities sometimes conflict with municipal landscaping plans, but these industrious rodents provide valuable ecosystem services by filtering water and preventing erosion. Listen for the warning slap of a beaver’s tail on water if you venture near their lodges at dusk.
