Urban Safari: 10 Surprising Animals That Can Survive City Living

As if city living wasn't crowded enough, these animals ranging from Red-Tail Hawks to African Penguins can survive in urban environments.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

To paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm, “I'm simply saying that life finds a way.” Then again, he was a fictional character in a Spielberg movie. Put simply: Things aren’t going so well for earth's animals. As humanity continues to spread we’re destroying our planet’s ability to sustain life—and we’re doing so at an incredible rate. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, humans result in the deaths of between .01 and .1 percent of all living things each year—and many of those are species we haven’t even identified yet. That’s right: We’re so good at killing that we don’t even know who or what we’re killing anymore.

But even as our species takes its toll on biodiversity, there are occasional respites to the bloodshed. In fact, some creatures not only survive when humans post-up in their territory, but thrive. Such animals could even be seen as a glimmer of hope for a future not (entirely) ravaged by humanity’s presence. Then again, most of these species are encroaching on their own lost territory, many are invasive, and some are downright dangerous to humans. But at least they're surviving, right? 

RELATED: A Bear Climbs Into an SUV and Accidentally Locks Itself Inside of It
RELATED: Philadelphia Women Set Rats Free Inside of Rival's Home Following Argument Over a Man
RELATED: A Complicated Tale of Yoga, Public Masturbation, National Parks and Dead Animal Throwing

Red-Tail Hawks

Not Available Interstitial

Northern Snakehead Fish

Not Available Interstitial

Rats

Not Available Interstitial

Marmosets

Not Available Interstitial

Leopards

Not Available Interstitial

Tubifex Worms

Not Available Interstitial

African Penguins

Not Available Interstitial

Dogs

Not Available Interstitial

Vervet Monkeys

Not Available Interstitial

Eastern Gray Squirrels

Not Available Interstitial

Cockroaches

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture