It’s really wild out there
A new BBC nature documentary looks at our planet’s fastest growing habitat: Cities. SARAH MARSHALL highlights some of the wild characters you might bump into in town
IT’S hard to imagine that exotic creatures lurk just metres from our doorsteps, but thousands of animals the world over have adapted to living in our cities.
Building on the success of the final episode of Planet Earth II, new threepart BBC2 series Cities: Nature’s New Wild focuses on species that have adapted and are now thriving in this new, surprising habitat.
From manatees swimming in Florida’s rivers, to Asian water monitors (lizards) skulking through Bangkok, all manner of animals now call the concrete jungle home.
Book a city break to any of these destinations and you might be in store for a bonus safari...
GREY-HEADED FLYING FOXES IN ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
A RELATIVELY new resident in South Australia, these megabats moved from forested areas and set up a permanent base in the Adelaide region less than a decade ago, driven mainly by a lack of food resources and climate change.
Regular monitoring suggests there are 22,000 individuals, who take advantage of the year-round water and food supplies generated by urbanisation.
During the day, they hang upside down in trees with wings wrapped around their bodies, congregating in communal camps for protection against predators.
A particularly spectacular event occurs during heatwaves, when the bats often dip their bellies in the River Torrens, collecting a store of water to quench their thirst.
GREAT CRESTED NEWTS IN MANCHESTER, UK
ALSO known as the warty newt, thanks to its mottled, uneven skin, this pond-dwelling amphibian doesn’t exactly have cute and cuddly appeal. But it is in need of protection.
The largest of Britain’s three native newt species is suffering a slow decline, although large numbers can be found breeding in ponds around Greater Manchester.
Although measuring roughly 16cm they’ve had a big impact: Runways, coal mines and railway links have been delayed, denied or adapted due to their presence.
LONG-EARED OWLS IN KIKINDA, SERBIA
NORTHERN Serbian town Kikinda, close to the Romanian border, is a well known birdwatching location, famous for having the world’s largest roosting population of long-eared owls.
In winter, when the birds arrive, trees can be covered with up to 150 birds at one time, creating a very pleasing ‘sitting of parliament’ from early November until March.
The orange-eyed avians are attracted to nearby farms where food is plentiful; old-fashioned harvesting equipment leaves piles of discarded grain up for grabs, and a refusal to use poison means there are plenty of rats in the fields.
After feasting, the owls head into town, where buildings provide shelter and trees serve as a safe place to breed. ■ Cities: Nature’s New Wild BBC2, Sundays, 9pm