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

This is TK from the Canadian office, where the temperature has already dropped below 10 degrees Celsius in the mornings and evenings.

This time, I would like to step away from technical topics for a moment and introduce some of the animals that can be seen around the city that surprised me when I first came to Toronto. In Japan, birds such as crows, sparrows, and pigeons, as well as cats, are common, but in Toronto, animals that are surprising to Japanese people roam the streets day and night. So let's get started.

squirrel

Pigeons and squirrels are probably the animals you'll most likely see in Toronto. In Japan, it's hard to see these animals unless you go to the zoo, but in Toronto, if you go to a park, you'll almost always see squirrels digging in the grass or being chased by dogs.

By the way, the squirrels in Toronto are not cute squirrels like chipmunks, but muscular wild squirrels, and they live a strong life, sometimes building nests on the roofs of private houses.

seagull

When we think of seagulls, we associate them with the sea, but surprisingly many seagulls can be seen even in inland Toronto. Although Toronto has no ocean, the city is built along Lake Ontario, which is so large that you can't see the opposite shore, and seagulls are also attracted to the water's edge and live there.

They can be found even in places far from the water's edge, so when I first came to Toronto, I felt strange hearing the same cries I hear at the beach all over town.

goose

When you think of Canada, you think of Canada Goose! You may have this impression, but if you actually go out of town, you can see geese roaming around parks and other places. In fact, goose has a very bad temper and is feared by people because it threatens and attacks people who get close to it during the spawning and rearing seasons.

I was chased after just passing by once. It's trauma.

raccoon

The raccoon, which everyone loves, is regarded as the mascot of Toronto, and is treated with great affection, with mugs depicting a raccoon rummaging through trash cans becoming popular as Toronto merchandise. They lurk everywhere from downtown areas to suburbs, and often make the local news by swimming in private pools or entering cafes.

I once encountered one wandering around the subway platform.

skunk

The last one is a skunk, which you probably won't encounter in the wild in Japan. They actually live just as ubiquitously as raccoons, and are often seen at night, especially in suburban areas. As you know, skunks emit a foul-smelling gas when they sense danger, but the smell is a bit similar to sesame oil, and to us Japanese people who are used to it, we don't find the odor that unpleasant. . Maybe?

*This is my personal opinion.

 

summary

As you know, Toronto is extremely cold in the winter, so you almost never see any living things outside, but in the summer, animals like the ones we introduced here are rampaging everywhere. I want to work surrounded by squirrels and raccoons! If you are an engineer, please apply here .

By the way, if you go to the countryside, you may see coyotes and elk, so you can enjoy a wild animal life from a Japanese perspective. But basically it's dangerous and extremely dirty, so please don't get close to it♪