London Wildlife

Read the text about wildlife in London.

Believe it or not, except for the tigers, all of the animals from the previous exercise live in towns and cities somewhere around the world. Parks probably come first into your mind when you think about wildlife in cities. St. James Park in London is known for a variety of beautiful birds and lots of lovely squirrels. Many Londoners and tourists walk through the park with some animal food in their pockets to feed them. Lots of squirrels eat from your hand and some of them are so brave they come and sit in a person's lap if they sit on the ground and offer them nuts. But not all the animals living in cities are as lovely as the squirrels. For example, no one dares to estimate the number of mosquitos that live in the London underground. They feed on – people.

To their surprise, scientists discovered that the mosquitos adapted to the underground environment so much that they have evolved into their own unique species. Scientists think that they were brought on underground trains from Heathrow airport and that they arrived to the airport on planes from other countries. The London underground is also home for about half a million mice.

One of the most unusual animals that was found in London was – a fox. The builders caught it on the 72nd floor of the unfinished skyscraper.

Having less and less living space is not the only reason for moving animals into the cities - animals go where there is food so cities have become homes for all sorts of species, from the cute to the dangerous ones. Scientists have discovered that small mammals that have moved into the cities have bigger brains compared to rural mammals. They think this is because these animals had to adapt to different food sources, threats, and landscapes. Who knows – this might be a new step in the evolution of species.

In pairs, discuss the following:

Name two reasons for the wild animals moving into cities.
Name the animals that are mentioned in the text.
Describe two findings that surprised the scientists.
Discuss the most interesting part of the text and explain why you think so.

For a few days, observe the environment you live in. Observe the animals that have learnt to coexist with humans. Which animals do you see? Are the animals that live in your town well taken care of? Are the animals cute or dangerous? Write a report about your findings. Show it to your teacher.

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