[Canada] Healed and attacked by animals in the streets of Toronto

Here we are already seeing days where the temperature drops below 10°C in the mornings and evenings. This is TK from the Canada office

This time, I'd like to take a break from technical topics and talk about the animals that can be seen in the city, which surprised me when I first came to Toronto. In Japan, birds like crows, sparrows, and pigeons, as well as cats, are common, but in Toronto, there are some surprising animals roaming the streets day and night. Let's get started

squirrel

The animals you're most likely to see in Toronto are pigeons and squirrels. In Japan, you can hardly see them unless you go to the zoo, but in Toronto, if you go to a park you'll almost always see squirrels digging up the grass or being chased by dogs

By the way, the squirrels in Toronto are not cute chipmunks but muscular wild squirrels, which live robust lives and sometimes build nests on the roofs of private homes

seagull

When you think of seagulls, you think of the sea, but surprisingly, you can see a lot of seagulls in inland Toronto. Toronto is a city without a sea, but it is built along Lake Ontario, which is so large you can't see the opposite shore, and seagulls are apparently attracted to the water's edge to live there

They can be seen in places quite far from water, so when I first came to Toronto I was surprised to hear the same sounds I hear on the seashore in the city

Goose

When you think of Canada, you probably think of Canada geese! But if you go a little outside the city, you can see geese roaming around in parks and other places. Geese are actually quite aggressive, and from the egg-laying to the breeding season, they are feared by people because they will intimidate or attack anyone who gets too close

I was chased just for passing by once. It was traumatic

Raccoon

Everyone's favorite raccoon has been positioned as a mascot of Toronto, and is treated with affection, with mugs depicting raccoons rummaging through trash cans becoming popular Toronto merchandise. Raccoons can be found lurking everywhere, from downtown to the suburbs, and often make headlines in the local news by swimming in private pools or entering cafes

I once encountered one wandering around on a subway platform

skunk

Lastly, there's the skunk, which you probably won't encounter in the wild in Japan. They actually live just as ubiquitous as raccoons, and are often seen at night, especially in suburban areas. As you may know, skunks spray a foul-smelling gas when they sense danger, but the smell is a bit like sesame oil, and for us Japanese who are used to it, it's not such an unpleasant smell... Maybe?

*This is a personal opinion

 

summary

As you know, Toronto is extremely cold in the winter, so you rarely see animals outside, but in the summer, animals like those introduced here run wild everywhere. If you're an engineer who wants to work surrounded by squirrels and raccoons, apply here .

By the way, if you go a little further into the countryside, you may encounter coyotes and moose, and you can enjoy a much wilder animal life than in Japan. However, it is generally dangerous and extremely dirty, so please stay away