tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/raccoons-18218/articlesraccoons – La Conversation2019-07-21T11:02:24Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1206432019-07-21T11:02:24Z2019-07-21T11:02:24ZRabies: How it spreads and how to protect yourself<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284847/original/file-20190718-116552-8kplc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=41%2C48%2C4304%2C2938&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats are all hosts of specific rabies virus variants. Humans can be infected by them all. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rabies-death-bc-vancouver-island-bat-1.5213460">21-year-old Canadian man recently died of rabies</a> — a disease that <a href="https://www.who.int/rabies/epidemiology/en/">kills an estimated 59,000 people a year internationally</a> but hasn’t infected a person in Canada since 2007.</p>
<p>Nick Major, from Parksville, B.C., suffered a small puncture wound after a bat flew into his hand during daylight on the west coast of Vancouver Island. He developed the symptoms of rabies six weeks later.</p>
<p>Should we be concerned about rabies? Yes. It’s an almost invariably fatal infection <a href="http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/rabies">caused by a virus that is widely present in wildlife in Canada</a> and globally.</p>
<p>Should we be more concerned about rabies now than we would have been before Major’s death? No. While tragic — both because of the fatal outcome and the fact that it could have been prevented — the situation does not indicate any change in the risk of rabies in Canada.</p>
<h2>Raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats</h2>
<p>Rabies is a viral infection caused by the rabies virus, which circulates in different “reservoir species.” </p>
<p>Raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats are all hosts of specific rabies virus variants. However, while those rabies virus variants are best at circulating in their host species, they can spillover to other species. </p>
<p>There is no human rabies virus variant, but humans can be infected by any rabies virus.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1151832528359165953"}"></div></p>
<p>Internationally, it is estimated that rabies kills approximately 59,000 people every year, almost all in developing countries in Africa and Asia, and almost all from <a href="https://www.who.int/rabies/epidemiology/en/">dogs in areas where canine rabies virus variant is present</a>. </p>
<p>Canine rabies virus was eradicated in Canada many years ago (although dogs can still get rabies from other species), leaving wildlife as the sources of infection. The distribution of rabies virus in different wildlife species varies across the country, ranging from the notable <a href="https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8928476-hamilton-s-ongoing-rabies-outbreak-traced-to-diseased-raccoon-from-u-s-/">return of raccoon rabies in Hamilton, Ontario</a> to national dissemination of <a href="https://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/rabies/rabies-in-canada/eng/1356156989919/1356157139999">bat variant rabies</a>. </p>
<p>Virtually every Canadian is at some, albeit exceptionally low, risk of rabies exposure given the distribution of this virus in wildlife.</p>
<h2>With treatment, rabies is preventable</h2>
<p>Rabies virus is transmitted from an infected animal to a person through saliva, almost always via a bite. </p>
<p>Rabies deaths in Canada indicate a breakdown in education, communication and health care, since sources of exposure are well understood and rabies is virtually completely preventable. </p>
<p>If people know how rabies is transmitted, report bites to public health personnel and get <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/medical_care/index.html">rabies post-exposure treatment when indicated</a>, the risk of rabies is essentially zero. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284846/original/file-20190718-116596-1h0k67z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The eastern pipistrelle bat is frequently linked with human rabies cases.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As with many infectious diseases, the science and medicine are easy. We know how to completely prevent rabies. However, as the recent B.C. case highlights, breakdowns can happen. It’s the human element that causes risk. </p>
<p>In the tragic B.C. rabies case, there was nothing new or surprising, just a lack of understanding of the risk of rabies. In part, this is probably because the successful control of rabies in Canada means there is less public interest and awareness. </p>
<p>The risk of rabies to Canadians is as much from complacency and lack of education as it is from wildlife.</p>
<h2>What to do if you are bitten by a wild animal</h2>
<p>The recent rabies case highlights some important facts. Rabies is present in Canada and probably always will be. While we can control rabies in some animal populations, eradicating it from bats is next to impossible. As a result, we have to learn to live with an ever-present risk of exposure. </p>
<p>If you are bitten by a wild animal, this is what you should do:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Wash the wound with soap and running water.</p></li>
<li><p>Identify the animal, if possible, so that it can be quarantined or tested.</p></li>
<li><p>Seek medical care.</p></li>
<li><p>Ensure your local public health unit has been contacted or contact them yourself. They will coordinate observation of the biting animal (when possible) and organize post-exposure treatment, if it is needed.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If anything good can come out of this unfortunate incident, it will be increased awareness of the risk of rabies and how to reduce that risk. Basic awareness is sometimes all that is needed to save a life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120643/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>J Scott Weese receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust, Equine Guelph and the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation.</span></em></p>Rabies is almost always fatal once the symptoms appear. It is also completely preventable, so long as you know how to protect yourself.J Scott Weese, Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1183752019-06-13T12:42:26Z2019-06-13T12:42:26ZHow to handle raccoons, snakes and other critters in your yard (hint: not with a thermos)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278710/original/file-20190610-52753-f13ehs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oh-so-cute raccoons can carry diseases and also fight with pets. If you don't want raccoons around, minimize food sources such as bird seed.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/raccoon-standing-pile-birdseed-on-deck-1384345103?src=jJI4FacgTbtR3feDNincXw-1-11">Nancy Salmon/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I heard a local story of a man who, in his excitement to kill a rattlesnake, used the only thing he had available ─ his thermos bottle. The next scene in this drama has the man in the hospital receiving anti-venom to treat a snake bite. </p>
<p><a href="https://bioone.org/journals/Wildlife-Research/volume-42/issue-7/WR14229/Humanwildlife-interactions-in-urban-areas--a-review-of-conflicts/10.1071/WR14229.short">Encounters with wildlife</a> are becoming more common in towns and neighborhoods as <a href="https://theconversation.com/concrete-jungle-cities-adapt-to-growing-ranks-of-coyotes-cougars-and-other-urban-wildlife-43588">urbanization increases</a>, and people often do not know what to do in these situations. Many species of urban wildlife, such as butterflies, bees, beetles, lizards, bats and most birds, are benign or even beneficial, helping to control <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bats/benefits-of-bats.htm">mosquitoes</a>, pollinate flowers and trees, recycle nutrients, and provide many other hidden ecological services. </p>
<p>But there can be also some associated health concerns, as some species bring the risk of parasites or disease. For example, some snakes like rattlesnakes or copperheads can be venomous. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3809387?casa_token=K8VKBvyN_bgAAAAA:t4wZTz24KkPC-tJm5Zgis0U7W6AIaipGL4noHy9N809X8MgYqwR-azK-JnKHHYKd3hQUV7obRS78AnmH-dWYIPRaPAlsCp2og8LsDlXpjf3ZIUEs&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">Habitat loss to fragmentation</a>, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102261">urbanization</a> and <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcseprd1422028.pdf">expanding agricultural production</a> means <a href="https://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/adjunct/snr0704/snr07041f.pdf">suburban and urban spaces</a> will increasingly become options for wildlife searching for new homes. It is not just snakes, but also coyotes, foxes, raccoons, deer and even bears. </p>
<p>As a wildlife biologist and extension educator, my job is to help people more fully understand wildlife for the betterment of both people and animals. People generally enjoy wildlife. Renowned ecologist E. O. Wilson coined the term “<a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GAO8BwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP6&dq=Kellert,+S.+R.+and+E.+O.+Wilson,+1995.+The+biophilia+hypothesis.+Island+Press&ots=plt8IED_vY&sig=ZfcB7ol5zGettJk4mmXFjVAkD0w#v=onepage&q=Kellert%2C%20S.%20R.%20and%20E.%20O.%20Wilson%2C%201995.%20The%20biophilia%20hypothesis.%20Island%20Press&f=false">Biophilia” (meaning “life fondness”)</a> to describe this seemingly inherent affinity humans have for natural life. Rather than being too friendly or overly fearful, people should be aware and respectful of wildlife that may be in their neighborhood. </p>
<h2>What about those snakes?</h2>
<p>Many people ─ like the thermos-wielding man in the opening story ─ may not realize that snakes are beneficial and that attacking them with a dangerous tool, much less a thermos, is increasing the likelihood that it will be scared and bite in self-defense. About <a href="http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/venomous_snake_faqs.shtml">7,000 to 8,000 people</a> are bitten each year by a venomous snake, but death from one is very rare.</p>
<p>While they might not have the charisma of a panda or polar bear, snakes serve an important role in the environment. They <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/snake">eat insect pests</a> as well as rodents that can serve as vectors for parasites and infectious diseases like the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/plague/index.html">plague</a> that may be <a href="https://cc4d3dc4-a-d6d9d6da-s-sites.googlegroups.com/a/irri.org/rodent-management/resources/journal-articles/books-and-book-chapters/ratsmiceandpeoplerodentbiologyandmanagement/rats%2CmicePages1-114.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7cr4-Jq8l0Vm2l2fhfLGgVkQc5itiu8qharSVuX3Uk02DRjS3ZnBhKNiAu3WS0D2MkZJVFOlm_44Axfhm_TffBhU-NYbU3C-w7HcrfrHwNU5kITuxiwmDnUWcBocAbny4eRE1NaDPFCgf9sWs0CTTUGLWkjyI5op4eO_kWf5vCUeoDzCbhyoy6svgwgVBWK04p17-RVn_fmmX___LmMG7YkWZFz2R3ZyGf8S71SrGSuXPCrB38lnlrGJwP0KU6xErxDvLV3vGgrYX5bxWzN218Mc7WvPN9L3yJWQX13T8Hh6mcyH8kBDS726L7Dn79T3XPGb67EeXtFimLpbcWvkXpMKnqTneZTH5QkF9sTXz47mHZiGO70%3D&attredirects=0#page=12">transmitted to humans</a>. True, a venomous snake hanging around the backyard would be a situation for concern. But since only <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/%7Emcs2/herp/SoNA.html">20 of the estimated 127 species</a> in North America are venomous, the probability of encountering a venomous snake is pretty low. Nevertheless, if a venomous snake does end up near a home, wisdom calls for keeping children and pets away until professional help arrives to remove the animal.</p>
<h2>Not-so-adorable raccoons</h2>
<p>Most people aren’t worried about a cute raccoon eating out of the cat’s outdoor food dish. However, that same animal could be a <a href="https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/de-gruyter/management-of-raccoons-procyon-lotor-in-ontario-canada-do-human-E0ZXk0UpHY">carrier for rabies</a>, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1845179">parasites</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2634612/">influenza</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00039896.1975.10666788">salmonella</a> or other pathogens that are issues for people and household pets. Close proximity to people and pets is discouraged for all wildlife species, even the cute ones. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278717/original/file-20190610-52739-lw50mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An urban coyote eating fast food.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/urban-coyote-eating-fast-food-778065727?src=Re5n0yCwTqrW4_2gg4ezlA-1-19">Matt Knoth/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What about other critters?</h2>
<p>If wildlife such as coyotes, deer or foxes do appear in the yard, the best option for a peaceful encounter is to give them space. When met by people, most wild animals, if not habituated to humans, will either escape the imminent danger humans pose or hunker down to hide until the coast is clear for them to leave. It is when people move in closer ─ whether intentionally to help or harm or accidentally through unawareness ─ that a wild animal will feel the need to defend itself physically. For the untrained person, it is always wisest to go inside and wait it out. </p>
<p>Homeowners who don’t want any furry or scaly visitors should be mindful not to provide food or shelter. Secure outdoor trashcan lids, scoop up spilled seed at birdfeeders, and remove outdoor pet food bowls that <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/wildlife_damage/content/printable_version/fs_living_with_wildlife.pdf">may attract these creatures</a>. Stacks of firewood and piles of yard debris provide shelter to smaller critters, so if this is not your goal, consider alternatives.</p>
<p>In those instances where an unwanted guest does not move on, it is best for all involved to contact local wildlife experts for assistance rather than trying to handle the situation without help from those with proper training. Not only will this avert any unwanted injuries to people or animals, it will also prevent any unintentional violations of the state and federal laws that protect most wildlife in the U.S.</p>
<h2>What if you want some backyard wildlife?</h2>
<p>Some folks want to create space for nature by offering the food, shelter and water that animals are seeking. This option helps restore some of the functions and services that <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0160017605275160">natural ecosystems provide</a>. Bird feeders, pollinator plantings, (unchlorinated) water features, and native trees and shrubs can be artfully incorporated into landscaping to provide beauty and supply <a href="https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/create">backyard habitats</a>. This is supplemental support and is different from caring for wild animals as if they were domesticated. Deliberately feeding animals like squirrels, deer or raccoons can create a hazardous situation for people and wildlife, leading to increased risk of negative encounters, disease and harm. This practice is not supported or encouraged by professional wildlife biologists. </p>
<p>[ <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=thanksforreading">Thanks for reading! We can send you The Conversation’s stories every day in an informative email. Sign up today.</a></em> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leslie Burger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As humans encroach on wildlife habitats, it’s only natural that wildlife come into yards and playgrounds. Here are some tips to peacefully coexist, or to keep critters away if you don’t want that.Leslie Burger, Assistant Extension Professor of Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mississippi State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/960842018-05-03T22:29:00Z2018-05-03T22:29:00ZHow the hard work of wild animals benefits us too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217599/original/file-20180503-153895-mwmz4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The male cardinal tenderly feeding his mate is just one example of the hard work wild animals undertake in springtime. That work often benefits humans.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Like other nature lovers and rural residents, I have been marvelling at the many animal courtships and other mating preparations that accompany the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.</p>
<p>The brilliant-red male cardinals who seek out the best seeds and then tenderly feed their female mates, beak-to-beak. The robins who dutifully solicit and assess building supplies as they carefully construct their nests. The squirrels who remember which nuts have been buried where — <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170913192952.htm">and whose organizational skills rival the best administrative assistants.</a></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217598/original/file-20180503-153884-17cuab8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A red squirrel is seen in this photo nibbling on a nut. With spring upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, watching wild animals hard at work is a reminder of how we benefit from their labour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Along with my endless delight in watching chipmunks stuffing their cheeks to refill their networks of food burrows, as a labour studies scholar, I also recognize that these dynamics are examples of work. </p>
<p>Wild animals work. They work hard.</p>
<p>The idea of work still tends to evoke particular images of manual and blue-collar jobs, but the realities of people’s livelihoods have always been and continue to be much more diverse. This is true for people and animals alike.</p>
<p>Daily life for wild animals involves an elaborate and constant series of tasks and challenges. </p>
<h2>Subsistence work</h2>
<p>Finding food and water. Locating appropriate shelter and protection from the elements, in all seasons. Trying to avoid predators, including humans, our vehicles and our weapons. Navigating landscapes that change dramatically and become even more dangerous with every new road, building and pipeline, not to mention the droughts, floods and other weather events that result from climate change.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217603/original/file-20180503-153895-6y7kq7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Raccoons and other animals have to negotiate a number of man-made issues as they seek out food and shelter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Erwan Hesr/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is subsistence work. This is the work wild animals do to survive.</p>
<p>The dynamics become even more challenging when you add reproduction to the mix. Whether guarding a nest of chicks or a den of cubs, animal parents must be vigilant and highly attuned to myriad sights and sounds. The young must be guarded, fed, comforted and taught. </p>
<p>Young animals are not only taught to survive, they are also taught how to thrive and negotiate the social realities of their species, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022122321.htm">and often their particular community</a>. This includes the need to understand relationships, social expectations, hierarchies and ways of communicating. This is care work.</p>
<h2>Every animal mother is a working mother</h2>
<p>The slogan “every mother is a working mother” was coined by feminists who wanted to draw attention to essential, and often overlooked and devalued, unpaid domestic labour. </p>
<p>Feminist political economists now use the term <a href="http://www.mqup.ca/social-reproduction-products-9780773531031.php">social reproduction</a> to highlight the countless daily tasks carried out in homes and families, predominantly by women. These tasks ensure the maintenance of whole generations of people — and subsidize every society and economy.</p>
<p>I argue that animals also engage in social reproduction. </p>
<p>Biological reproduction is just the beginning. The effect of animals’ subsistence and care work is the social reproduction of their young, their group and their species.</p>
<p>In fact, I suggest we recognize that wild animals are also integral to what I call eco-social reproduction: The subsistence and care work they do contributes <a href="https://brock.scholarsportal.info/journals/SSJ/article/view/1350/1366">to the maintenance of ecosystems</a>. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/elephant">the World Wildlife Fund points out</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In tropical forests, elephants create clearings and gaps in the canopy that encourage tree regeneration. In the savannas, they reduce bush cover to create an environment favourable to a mix of browsing and grazing animals. The seeds of many plant species are dependent on passing through an elephant’s digestive tract before they can germinate. It is calculated that at least a third of tree species in central African forests rely on elephants in this way for distribution of seeds.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, the subsistence and care work elephants do daily in order to survive and raise their young also benefits other species and their ecosystem: It’s a process of eco-social reproduction.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/217604/original/file-20180503-153873-tsv263.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A least a third of tree species in Africa are thought to rely on elephants for distributing seeds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Harshil Gudka/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Creatures great and small contribute to eco-social reproduction through their daily labour. Those chubby-cheeked squirrels and chipmunks? They are also <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01716.x">invaluable seed-dispersers</a>.</p>
<p>And humans are directly affected, most obviously by bees and other pollinators whose daily subsistence labour pollinates <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/bees.pdf">about a third of our food crops.</a></p>
<p>Thinking about wild animals and their actions in this way offers a different perspective on our multi-species communities. If a raccoon leaves a messy mural of orange peels and tea bags on your driveway, you could pause and recognize that she or he is, like you, working to survive and care for loved ones, and perhaps feel some empathy alongside the irritation. </p>
<h2>Start seeing animals differently</h2>
<p>Animals’ dietary choices also result from need rather than greed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/07/big-meat-big-dairy-carbon-emmissions-exxon-mobil">and, unlike ours, are not fuelling climate change.</a></p>
<p>Recognizing the complexity of the lives of the other species with whom we share this planet can also be part of expanding our webs of compassion and solidarity.</p>
<p>We should broaden our intellectual horizons by integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, the social sciences and scientific approaches, as we pursue deeper knowledge, and, most importantly, more ethical action, including in political and economic arenas.</p>
<p>We have many opportunities to see animals differently and more carefully.</p>
<p>There is an axiom that often circulates about the behaviour of Homo Sapiens: “Humans: We’re not the only species, we just act like it.” Let’s not.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-indigenous-knowledge-advances-modern-science-and-technology-89351">How Indigenous knowledge advances modern science and technology</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96084/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kendra Coulter receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>Wild animals are hard at work this spring. Here’s how their hard labour benefits humans, and why we should be more appreciative.Kendra Coulter, Associate Professor in Labour Studies and Chancellor's Chair for Research Excellence; Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/435882015-07-01T10:07:35Z2015-07-01T10:07:35ZConcrete jungle: cities adapt to growing ranks of coyotes, cougars and other urban wildlife<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86456/original/image-20150625-29066-12fei38.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Don't fence me in: a coyote finds Portland, Oregon a perfectly good habitat.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/automotocycle/6885160019/in/photolist-buqfcv-aB5M89-dWwoNZ-aB5FMy-aB5Pqs-aB33pv-aB2Vhv-c96dj7-5ghmZU-5ghExS-5ghqHf-5gdagt-5ghAWo-5gddur-7GT9n4-bprkV1-dM4BBw-7WJWw8-dKkc9b-c95unh-8RcfgK-fGHrRZ-bYFzP-qKY6YS-fLCtPK-9jJWGK-BKd1A-ctt8CL-6TfGLS-ZpxE4-dEqvcR-9CaLe7-63Vqc5-kuJ2r-9CcdXy-9CaqVw-9C7Gq4-9C7B6T-9C6QTk-9Ca5aJ-9CaeuQ-9C7Vmv-9C9FLW-9C6ESp-6hLyPw-9C9w3e-9C826B-4MjqLf-9C6uK2-9C89Eg">automotocycle/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Several times this spring, coyotes made <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/nyregion/coyotes-create-dangers-and-divisions-in-new-york-suburbs.html">national headlines</a> when spotted roaming the streets of New York, from Manhattan to Queens. </p>
<p>In recent years, a host of charismatic wild species, the coyote being only the most famous, have returned to American cities in numbers not seen for generations. Yet the official response in many areas has been, at best, disorganized, and people’s responses varied. The time has come for us to accept that these animals are here to stay, and develop a new approach to urban wildlife.</p>
<p>Most big American cities occupy sites that were once rich ecosystems. New York and Boston overlook dynamic river mouths. San Francisco and Seattle border vast estuaries, while large parts of Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, DC rest atop former wetlands. Even Las Vegas sprawls across a rare desert valley with reliable sources of life-giving fresh water, supplied by artesian aquifers the nearby Spring Mountains. All of these places once attracted diverse and abundant wildlife.</p>
<p>In the early days of urban growth, which for most American cities was in the 18th or 19th centuries, charismatic native species were still common in many increasingly populated areas. These creatures disappeared due to numerous causes, from overhunting to pollution.</p>
<p>By the beginning of the 20th century, the country’s metropolitan fauna had been reduced to a motley collection of exotic rodents and birds, packs of mangy dogs, and the urban environment’s most fearsome apex predator, the house cat, which terrorized any remaining native songbirds.</p>
<h2>Return of big animals</h2>
<p>It is impossible to point to a precise date when wildlife began to return to American cities, but the release of Walt Disney’s Bambi, in 1942, is a good place to start. </p>
<p>For Bambi, people were careless arsonists and bloodthirsty predators who forced woodland creatures “deep into the forest.” Ironically, however, the film’s success helped pave the way for deer populations to explode in developed areas. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RGWB6fhgHxg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Bambi in 1942: People brought nothing good to the forest.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After World War II, in part due to changing attitudes toward wild animals, hunting declined as an American pastime. At the same time, suburbs spread into the countryside. Deer, which had nearly disappeared in several northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, multiplied on golf courses, ball fields and front yards.</p>
<p>Beginning in the 1960s, new laws sought to recover threatened species, and many states curtailed predator control programs. New nature reserves also provided spaces where wildlife populations could recover, and from which they could disperse into nearby cities.</p>
<p>The results were swift and unmistakable. Foxes, skunks, raccoons and possums became ubiquitous American urbanites. So did many raptors, such as peregrine falcons, which thrilled geeky birders and corner office CEOs alike with their aerial acrobatics and fondness for nesting on skyscrapers. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86328/original/image-20150624-31507-x1cneg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Once a rare sight outside forests, deer have spread widely and in their abundance, altered ecosystems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ddebold/3106023997/in/photostream/">Don DeBold/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By the 1990s, larger mammals began to appear in the shadows. Coyotes, bobcats and black bears turned up miles from the nearest woodlot, and mountain lions prowled the urban fringe.</p>
<p>And there is more. Alligators bounced back from near extinction to populate creeks and ponds from Miami to Memphis. Aquatic mammals such as beavers and sea lions staged remarkable comebacks, including in urban waters. Fishers, members of the weasel family once regarded as reclusive denizens of northern forests, found homes from cushy <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2014-06-08/news/50407012_1_pennsauken-township-pennsauken-woman-cats">Philadelphia suburbs</a> to the <a href="https://naturalsciencesresearch.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/fisher-photographed-in-the-bronx-first-ever-nyc-record-of-this-squirrel-and-rat-predator/">mean streets of New York</a>. In the Southern California city where I live, the newest addition to our urban menagerie is a small population of badgers.</p>
<p>How long will it be until wolves show up in the Denver suburbs?</p>
<h2>New animals, new policies</h2>
<p>Human residents of these cities tend to react in one of two ways — with surprise or fear — to reports of such charismatic wildlife in their midst. There are historical reasons for both responses, but neither makes much sense today.</p>
<p>People react with surprise because most still cling to the old belief that wild animals need wild areas. What these animals actually need is habitat. A suitable habitat does not have to be a remote wilderness or protected sanctuary; it must only have sufficient resources to attract and support a population. For a growing cadre of wild species, American cities provide a wealth of such resources.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86329/original/image-20150624-31510-e6f3rb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Undaunted: raccoons find an easy meal behind a pizza shop in Florida.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/christinawelsh/1118062646">Christina Welsh/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People react with fear because they have been led to believe that any wild animal bigger than breadbox must be dangerous. Wild animals certainly deserve our respect. A little caution can help people avoid unpleasant encounters, and extra vigilance is a good idea whenever pets or children are involved. Large wild animals can carry diseases, but proper management can reduce the risks. And predators can help control diseases by consuming rodent and insect pests.</p>
<p>Despite their reputations, large wild animals are just not very dangerous. By far <a href="http://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(05)70356-2/abstract">the most dangerous animals</a> in North America, as measured in human fatalities, are bees, wasps and hornets. Next are dogs — man’s best friend — followed by spiders, snakes, scorpions, centipedes and rats. The most dangerous animal, globally and throughout human history, is undoubtedly the mosquito. Coyotes are nowhere on the list.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86432/original/image-20150625-29058-vis5xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Nature Lab at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County helps people get to know urban wildlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nevertheless, officials have responded to coyote sightings in New York and other cities by rounding them up and moving them to more “appropriate” habitats. Usually, these efforts end with little trouble. But in at least one recent Manhattan case, the critter in question escaped after a chaotic and expensive <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/nyregion/coyote-upper-west-side.html">three-hour pursuit </a>that embarrassed the authorities and revealed the ad hoc nature of our policies.</p>
<p>This is an uncoordinated, unaffordable, unscientific, and unsustainable form of wildlife management.</p>
<p>A 21st-century approach to urban wildlife must include four elements: </p>
<ul>
<li>research is crucial for any management effort, but it is especially urgent in this case because wildlife scientists, who have long preferred to work in more pristine areas, know so little about urban ecosystems </li>
<li>educational programs can help dispel myths and foster public support</li>
<li>infrastructure upgrades — such as street signs, wildlife resistant trash bins, and nonreflective treatments that make glass windows more visible to birds — can help prevent unwanted human-wildlife encounters while protecting animals from injury and disease</li>
<li>finally, clear policies, including rules of engagement and better coordination among the various agencies responsible for urban wildlife, are crucial for both long-range planning and responding to rare but genuine emergencies.</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these measures are essential if America’s increasingly urban human population is to live in peace with its increasingly urban wildlife.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43588/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Alagona receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.</span></em></p>Urban wildlife is here to stay. Cities and their residents need better policies to coexist with the many animals making their homes in cities and suburbs.Peter Alagona, Associate Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.