We all know that there are many animals in London, some they have lived here for a long time, others have adapted well and increased their numbers making life difficult for other species that have been here for a long time.
London is a city with diverse and abundant wild animals. Consequently, there are many animals that can be seen in the city. During the coronavirus lockdown, many of these animals became even more adventurous, probably wondering where we had all gone.
Squirrels in London
The so-called fur-tailed rats are seen everywhere. They rummage through the garbage, climb the walls of the situations and sometimes even enter through the window. But they are cute and very photogenic. The squirrel you see in London is the grey or Eastern Gray, imported from the United States in the nineteenth century. It is much more robust than the red squirrel, which was the native squirrel of Great Britain, and for this has stolen its habitat. Now there are few reds in a few parts of Great Britain and none are seen in London.
Gray squirrels eat about twice their weight every day and they are not picky about what they eat. They will also eat the products of your garden without scruples. They are found in practically all parks in London
Foxes in London
A real case of overpopulation, in fact not infrequently they are seen on the sidewalks and do not escape the view of man. To survive and find food, they must be more and more intrusive and courageous. There are standing cases of foxes entering the instances through the back door and a few small young children being attacked.
London has the most high population of foxes in the UK, with a population estimated to be over 10. 000 The animals they are most commonly seen in north London, where they are often found gathering food from bins and gardens and hunting rats. Foxes are thought to have arrived in London during the Victorian era when they were brought from the continent to be hunted.
Foxes live around people and have learned to live together disadvantage them. They are not afraid of humans and are not hostile. Foxes, like other animals that live in urban areas, face many challenges. They must find food in a human-dominated environment where food is often scarce.
Animals in London: Herons
The heron is a large, wading bird common throughout the world. It is characterized by long legs and neck and slow, deliberate movements. The habitat of the heron is usually close to water, such as a river, lake or swamp. The heron can be found in London The one found in London is the gray heron. Being a hunter he is quite smart, even the herons of Regent’s Park know what time penguins and other animals in the zoo that eat fish and go to feed are fed in the cage in question about ten minutes before meals. Herons have a long history of being associated with the royal family, such as when Henry VIII of England had a heronry.
Egyptian geese
They are called Egyptian geese , but in reality they are big ducks. They were introduced as decoration in ponds in parks and have reproduced too much. Now regular ducks compete with advantage. A goose, dubbed “Betsy” by locals, was found in a club parking lot near Hounslow , West London. . Betsy is now looking for other Egyptian geese in the area to price friendship and find a mate.
Parakeets in London
The famous parrots have a mysterious origin, they probably escaped from some home even if there are various theories. One says they come from the collection of the movie ‘The Queen of Africa’ with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, the other says they all come from a pair of budgies released by Jimi Hendrix. In any case, there are now many and they are damaging the habitat, devouring the leaves and flowers of trees.
Swans in London
All swans belong to the queen. In addition to white swans (there are about 100 adult couples) living here black swans are also seen and in winter different types of swans that come to winter from Siberia. Some of these Siberian swans that in Italian are called lesser swans have settled here, perhaps they did not want to return to Siberia The swans of London are not originally from London. They are conditions brought from France in the Middle Ages to provide food for the royal family. London swans now enjoy crown protection and are a protected species. Swans can be found on the River Thames, in Hyde Park, Minister’s Park and in suburban ponds and rivers.
Deer and fallow deer
They are found at the same free in several parks especially in Richmond Park, Holland Park and Bushy Park. But now they are found in many suburban parks and wandering around at night in residential neighborhoods.
The deer population in London, UK is increasing. It is reported that there are about 400 – 600 deer living in the city, they generally don’t cause problems, but they can be aggressive during their mating season and can be dangerous if they end up on the street.
Animals in London: Canada Goose
This is a real goose and not a duck, introduced from North America approx. 300 years ago and has since settled in many areas of the British Isles, including London. So much so that in many places it is considered harmful. You will see it around the ponds of practically all the parks in London. Geese mate for life and live in long-term monogamous relationships. For this reason it is rare to see a goose with more than one mate. Geese form strong family bonds, especially between parents and their young.
Magpies in London
The number of magpies in London is increased by 120% in the lasts 30 years. They are large, noisy and rather intelligent birds. They have a bad reputation for using their arrogance and passion for shiny objects, but watch them for a while, they have a very interesting demeanor. Magpies are intelligent birds that will often use tools to get food. They also have a wide variety of vocalizations which are used to communicate with other members of their species and warn others of danger. Also note how they warn the group if a cat approaches!
Animals in London: Pigeons
I am less than once seen in places like Trafalgar Square you can’t risk feeding these birds from the 2003, it is now effectively a crime. They also placed anti-pigeon spikes on the buildings around the square. Also there are hawks who have been trained to hunt them. But there are always pigeons in London, in addition to the usual citizens there are also many pigeons and collar doves which are always relatives of pigeons.
Pigeons can be a real nuisance , especially in large cities where they can often be seen on roofs, ledges and window sills. Pigeons are attracted to food and water and if they see these things they will often stay in the same place for a lot of peace. Pigeons also produce droppings which can lead to stains on buildings and can also carry diseases such as histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis.
Ducks in London
Besides the mallard you will see a great variety of ducks, some are imported because they are attractive such as the mandarin duck or the bride duck, others pass by them during migrations and sometimes, as in the case of swans, they decide to stop.
There are also animals that are seen less often as birds of prey, cormorants, owls, bats, badgers and hedgehogs but which still probably exist in a good number. Less common, but not very rare, are seals along the Thames.
