Coexisting with Urban Wildlife

How far does community extend? And what are our expectations of, and responsibilities towards, those who live around us? These questions are at the heart of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There which opens with this line, “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” But what drives the distinction between those who can and those who cannot? It seems the sticking point of coexisting with wildlife boils down to issues of proximity and abundance.

Wildlife-friendly Neighborhoods

Whether intentional or not, the land management decisions of private landowners play a primary role in determining which species of wildlife share the Illinois landscape with us. To help conserve and restore wildlife habitat, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center developed the Conservation Inclusive Construction and Development Archive (CICADA) website. The CICADA website provides a wealth of resources about how to make your property more wildlife-friendly. By providing clean water, shelter, and the appropriate plants to attract the desired species, local wildlife can easily be attracted to your yard and neighborhood.

But what if too many animals arrive or a species that you weren’t expecting shows up? What if you enjoy the abundance of wildlife in your neighborhood but your neighbors do not? Those are cases where IDNR wildlife biologists typically get calls about nuisance wildlife.

What are Nuisance Wildlife?

Wildlife are labeled nuisance wildlife when they pose a threat to human health or safety, injure pets or livestock, or damage property. Here are some examples of common nuisance wildlife cases:

A homeowner enjoys seeing a rabbit in her backyard, but when the local rabbit population rapidly increases and devours this season’s vegetable garden and also destroys expensive landscaping, the homeowner finds herself having nefarious thoughts about said rabbits. In this type of situation there are usually ways to live peaceably with rabbits.

Another homeowner regularly feeds wildlife, unaware that there are hidden dangers for both people and wildlife in doing so. The artificially abundant food resources he provides attract several raccoons to the neighborhood, one of which takes advantage of a small hole in the nextdoor neighbor’s soffit to gain access to their attic, where she has a litter of young, chews on some wiring and damages heating/cooling ducts. Both neighbors enjoy wildlife, but now the latter has the expense of hiring a nuisance wildlife control operator to remove the raccoons from their home and costly home repairs.

In a neighborhood where bird feeding is common, wild turkeys become a nuisance during the spring when the toms are in hot pursuit of hens. The turkeys—who are used to getting handouts—begin to follow people around, scratch up lawns and landscaping and chase children as they get off the school bus. The consistently mowed lawns in the neighborhood also provide ideal habitat for woodchucks, some of which burrow under sheds or sidewalks.

In a new subdivision, a young mother worries about taking her children to the park because coyotes have been seen resting on the playground. Much of the nearby forested area was cleared the year before to make way for an apartment complex and new shopping center. The coyote is a master adapter, and so far the pair and their young have been able to survive despite the loss of habitat. The coyotes have not appeared aggressive towards people but reports of missing neighborhood cats are circulating.

Preventing Wildlife Damage

While all of these animals could be deemed nuisance wildlife, these species are vital members of a biodiverse community, and there are proven methods that people can take to help prevent and control wildlife damage. The Wildlife Illinois website was designed to educate people about the ecological role of many of common Illinois wildlife species while also providing solutions for solving wildlife damage issues. Simple steps such as keeping grills cleaned, properly storing trash, not feeding pets outside, maintaining the exterior of your residence, and keeping tree limbs trimmed back from houses and apartment buildings can reduce the likelihood of human-wildlife conflicts. For more tips on coexisting with wildlife check out the article Keeping Every Cog and Wheel.

Who Owns Wildlife?

Did you know that in Illinois, wildlife is collectively owned by the people of the state, not by individual property owners? Additionally, most species of wildlife are protected under the Illinois Wildlife Code which specifies what, when and how wildlife may (or may not) be taken. For many species of native wildlife, this means that individual animals may only be legally removed as specified by the IDNR and/or outside of the regular hunting and trapping season (if there is one) by a permitted nuisance wildlife control operator or by a property owner who has been issued a nuisance animal removal permit by the IDNR.

Removing Wildlife Yourself

The most common nuisance wildlife species are generally species that have regulated hunting and trapping seasons. Individuals are harvested and utilized for the pelts and meat, but populations remain strong because more individuals are born and survive than are harvested. Removing wildlife outside of the regular season should be done only after all other non-lethal options have been unsuccessful. Property owners should be aware that a nuisance animal removal permit will only be issued if the animal is causing substantial property damage or if there is a serious public health or safety concern. Permits are not issued to deal with inconveniences such as squirrels raiding bird feeders, woodpeckers drumming trees, or rabbits foraging in flower beds. While these situations are understandably frustrating for the property owner, non-lethal methods can be used in those situations.

For people dealing with wildlife issues who have tried the recommendations on WildlifeIllinois.org but who are still experiencing substantial property damage and/or a threat to health or safety, a free nuisance animal removal permit can be requested from the IDNR. The IDNR’s authority to allow individuals to remove wildlife when property damage and/or a threat to human health and safety occurs is provided in statute. To provide a timely response, a new online application has been developed. With this new, easy to use system, permits for removing some problem animals are issued if the situation meets the criteria specified in statute. Other cases, such as conflicts involving bobcat, coyote, river otter, American badger, red or gray fox, ring-necked pheasant, quail, and white-tailed deer require review by the local IDNR Wildlife Biologist to gather more information and to determine if a permit is warranted.

People seeking to remove wildlife themselves should know that the IDNR recommends most nuisance wildlife should be euthanized if they are not released back onto the property where they were trapped. By Illinois law, striped skunks must be euthanized. Other animals may be relocated to another property with the written permission of the owner of the property where the animal will be released. Wildlife may not legally be released in parks, natural areas, nature parks or preserves.

Why It Is Better Not to Relocate Wildlife

The mission of the IDNR Division of Wildlife is “To provide leadership with the restoration, management and protection of wildlife populations and their habitats, in accordance with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.” So some might wonder, why does the IDNR recommend humane euthanasia for nuisance animals? I asked that question of Stan McTaggart, IDNR Wildlife Diversity Program Manager.

He responded, “Nobody at the IDNR wants to see an animal suffer. Those of us who work here chose our careers because we have a strong interest in and connection to wildlife. Relocating nuisance wildlife may seem like the humane thing to do. But keep in mind that relocation isn’t a guarantee that the animal will survive.” McTaggart explained that the new location will probably already have a population of animals competing for limited resources (food, water, and shelter) in the area. Those animals will aggressively protect their territory from the newcomer. And relocated animals often travel long distances trying to get back home or to find a new, unoccupied space to establish a territory. During this time, they are vulnerable to predators, struggle to find food and shelter and increase their risk of being struck and killed by vehicles.

In addition, when an animal is relocated, there is more at stake than the welfare of that individual animal. There are several reasons why it is better not to relocate wildlife. The first being that diseases or pests that the relocated animal may carry have the potential to spread to the new local population, which puts other animals, and potentially people, at risk. If the animal is relocated to another urban area, then someone else is probably going to inherit your problem animal and its bad habits (e.g., getting into their attic or chewing the wiring on their car). And finally, handling and transporting a wild animal can be dangerous for both the individual animals and the people handling them.

Coexisting with Wildlife

Coexisting means existing at the same time in the same place, but it can also mean living in mutual tolerance despite different interests. Wildlife must live where there is suitable habitat. And people ultimately make the choice about what habitat exists and where. As a society, we choose whether or not our community includes the wild things.

As one person who cannot live without wild things to another, I asked McTaggart for a takeaway message. He replied, “We hope people take responsible measures to reduce conflict by securing their property, livestock and valuables to mitigate potential damage from wildlife whenever possible. We are all in this together and most of us want to live in a world with wild things!“

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Laura Kammin is a Natural Resources Specialist with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. She formerly held positions at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, University of Illinois Extension, Prairie Rivers Network and the Illinois Natural History Survey. She received her master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.