When you see these mostly nocturnal animals out during the day, take a moment to observe and enjoy them from a distance! Again, they want to be left alone, so observe from afar and never try to corner an animal–they will quickly be on their way. We often tell people in the springtime that it’s “BABIES, NOT RABIES” that is the cause for the increased daytime activity of these typically nighttime friends! This is especially true during “baby season” when parents are working hard to meet the caloric needs for themselves and their young. These species will sometimes move about during the day to eat or drink or reclocate. Being mostly active at night does not mean that you will never see them during the day, and seeing such an animal when the sun is out does not mean that there is something wrong with that animal. Now that we know that it is normal to see wildlife such as foxes, raccoons, and opossums in our neighborhoods, what do we do when we see them during the day?įoxes, raccoons, and opossums are considered nocturnal and will mostly be active at night. Consider not filling feeders April through November when other food is plentiful so as not to attract unwanted animals, and bring feeders in at nighttime. Keep the area under bird feeders clean and use feeders that collect fallen seed. If you must feed pets outside, do so at a set time daily and immediately remove the food and clean up all mess, do not leave food out overnight. Keep your trash inside or in a garage until pick-up day, tightly secure lids, and avoid leaving bagged trash outside.įeed all pets inside. There are precautions you can take to discourage wildlife from taking up residence if that’s your concern:

That said, you may or may not want to attract these species to your yard, and that’s fine.

If you don’t bother them, they most likely won’t bother you., and they really just want to be left alone. Most of the time you see these animals, they are probably moving about with intention– going from one place to another, finding food, or caring for young. Most importantly, they will naturally avoid humans. They also play a vital role in the urban/suburban ecosystem by keeping the populations of other species (rodents, insects, and the like) in check. So, it is NOT unusual for them to be sharing our neighborhoods with us. They are here because they are able to find their food, water, shelter, and space that they need to survive and thrive. Unfortunately, the creation of our neighborhoods destroys wildlife habitats, and foxes, raccoons, and opossums have become very skilled at meeting their needs in developed areas. Is it normal for these species to be in our neighborhoods? What will happen if they are?

Of course there are some species that we expect to see around our homes even if we live in densely populated areas– songbirds and squirrels are typically common and welcomed in most places.īut what about some of the other species such as foxes, raccoons, and opossums? Philly Metro Wildlife gets A LOT of calls about these species in particular. Why do we see certain animals in our neighborhood? Here are a few short posts addressing these most common questions and concerns from the public! “Can I remove this animal and release it somewhere else, can you do it for me?”Īll of these are valid questions, especially if you aren’t familiar with the natural behaviors of some of our wild neighbors! Our mission is not only to rehabilitate, but to help educate as well. “There’s an animal in my yard, will it eat my pet, harm my child, spread rabies?” “This animal is out during the day/ during winter, shouldn’t it be out at night/hibernating? Is there something wrong with it?” “This animal is in my neighborhood–shouldn’t it be in the woods?” Often it is because a person has found an injured or orphaned animal and they want to know the next steps, but sometimes the caller is simply concerned about an animal’s presence in their home, yard, or neighborhood. As a part of our jobs at the Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center we answer many phone calls each day about a variety of wildlife issues.

Are racoons nocturnal animals