Cities Gone Wild

Cities Gone Wild is an exploration of three savvy urban animals in the United States: black bears, coyotes and raccoons. Each of these carnivores are uniquely equipped to survive and even thrive in the human built landscape at a time when urbanization is decimating habitat for less adapted wildlife. I tracked these animals throughout cities across the United States, documenting the ways in which they have learned to manipulate our infrastructure and resources to their advantage, carving out a successful parallel existence among humans. Working with local scientists, wildlife managers, and local residents, I spent several years managing camera traps and paying witness to new human animal relationships being forged as wildlife grows increasingly comfortable living in close proximity to people. Urban animals may possibly be growing more intelligent than their rural peers due to the unique and diverse challenges associated with survival in cities. This story was published in the July, 2022 issue of National Geographic Magazine. Published in the July, 2022 issue of National Geographic Magazine