Many types of wildlife live in the city of Cambridge. These animals include:

They have learned to live in the city and will commonly be less afraid of people compared to animals outside the city. As the city expands, we will move further into natural habitats of animals. This forces the wildlife to adapt to us, so we need to do our part to live with them.

Common issues

A common misconception is that any nocturnal (active at night) animal that comes out during the day has rabies. This is false - urban wildlife often wander around in the daylight. This is a result of light pollution from streetlights and signs, as well as the amount of food available, not because the animals are sick. We receive many calls about injured or sick animals out during the day that are in fact healthy animals. 

There are wildlife rehab facilities you can contact to report injured or orphaned wildlife.

Rules for dealing with wildlife

Some general rules you should follow when dealing with wildlife include:

  • Leave wildlife alone when you encounter them, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened.
  • Keep your dogs on a leash when off your property. It is safer for both your pet and wildlife, and is a regulation of our animal by-laws.
  • Do not feed wildlife as it can do more harm than good.
  • Always clean up garbage from parks, playgrounds, and public places.
  • Do not feed your pet outside as it encourages wildlife and stray cats to visit your property.