The most brazen urban animals from around the world (14 photos)

In various parts of the world, animals have become accustomed to human company and sometimes behave extremely boldly. For example, iguanas.





A typical city park in South America.

At first glance, green iguanas seem out of place in cities. They are slow and huge creatures, up to two meters long. How could they compare to agile rats or fast and resilient dogs? However, they live in absolutely every city from Paraguay to South Florida!



A feathered rat and a scaly rat. All that's missing is a furry rat.

Iguanas compensate for their shortcomings with their climbing and swimming abilities, as well as their prodigious fertility. A mature female iguana lays between 20 and 70 eggs per year! Newborn iguanas navigate the world perfectly from the first minutes of life and don't require parental care. They also have no problem finding food. Finding greens and fruits in the tropics is easy, and if they're unavailable, the lizards switch to feeding from garbage cans.





Wait, that's a mistake! I was just taking out the trash!



Here, grandmothers go out into the yard in the morning to feed the cats, but in America, compassionate locals feed the reptilians.

That's why lizards cause a lot of problems for people. They destroy green spaces, dig burrows, damage building facades, and defecate on terraces and in swimming pools. And since they can carry salmonella, they also worsen the epidemiological situation. In their natural habitat, iguanas aren't all that harmful, as their predators—like hawks and foxes—also make their way into cities and plague reptiles. But outside of the city, in Florida, iguanas are a nuisance to everyone. Florida conservationists have even authorized their culling in any quantity and in any area!



Let's go populate new cities with the boys! Otherwise, they're shooting at us...

Fortunately for the United States, the large green lizard problem only affects the southernmost regions. Unfortunately, cities further north have a larger problem.



Are these really tourists?

As you know, American cities are characterized by huge suburbs, where a significant portion of the population lives. But despite all their many advantages, these suburbs are a much more comfortable habitat for wildlife. Raccoons, opossums, and coyotes are more common here than residents would like. But what really irritates residents are the deer.



Taking a photo in front of the city I'm about to conquer!

Deer overpopulation is a huge problem in the United States. In the middle of the last century, humans exterminated wolves from virtually the entire country and, at the same time, almost completely stopped hunting deer for food. And since deer suddenly ran out of natural predators, ungulate populations skyrocketed. As a result, there are now 36 million deer in the country!



Grab him, he's getting away!

Of course, such an insanely large population in the forests is a bit crowded, so the animals constantly come out to people: they eat crops, jump in front of cars, and whole herds sneak into human cities. They become especially numerous in the fall and winter. After all, who would be foolish enough to gnaw on bark and thin branches when they could have breakfast by the trash can next to McDonald's?



One evening by the trash can = a week of feeding in the forest!

Needless to say, entire herds of deer in the city are a problem? They not only ruin green fences, they also make wide passages through them, spreading trash and dirt everywhere. These timid animals are also potentially dangerous – unlike small iguanas, they can even attack humans!



By the way, you can also see this scene at illegal dumps in the middle of the forest.

But deer CAN attack a person. The chances of this happening are slim, even during the rutting season, as these animals are quite timid. Unlike monkeys, which seem to deliberately make life difficult for people.



Do you have any treats? What if we find some???

Urban monkeys are a common sight in populated areas of South Asia, tropical Africa, and even Gibraltar. And wherever they appear, these animals utilize their natural intelligence to the fullest. At first, they timidly settle on the outskirts. Then, having become somewhat accustomed, they venture further and further afield, becoming increasingly brazen. They steal fruit from ornamental plants, rummage through trash cans, and finally, they resort to outright theft. But the most disturbing thing is that they lose their fear of humans.



Revolution! Steal and kill!



When your paycheck comes in, and the 8-year-old in you suddenly wakes up.

And then, when food is scarce, they start breaking into apartments. Thanks to their sharp minds, innate dexterity, and strong-fingered hands, they can climb walls, dive through open windows, and make a complete mess of your kitchen. They can even attack people, taking advantage of their superior numbers. And dealing with them is even more difficult than dealing with iguanas and deer. After all, deer can't climb roofs, and iguanas can't use flock tactics. I think I used to be mad at pigeons? Forget it.



This spring, a monkey stole a $1,200 flagship phone and only returned it in exchange for a carton of juice. A decent deal.