Having recently moved into a new house in Streatham, one thing has struck me in particular: the playful nature of the wildlife in my back garden.
The house my family moved into had been unoccupied for many months, giving all sorts of creatures freedom to roam in the garden without fear of human intervention. The confidence of these animals is clear whenever we look out of the window to see two squirrels happily chasing each other up and down the trees, not once looking back to check if it is safe for them to do so. Indeed, it is a truly joyous sight that will always be very entertaining for us to watch.
It isn’t just the squirrels that have caught our attention, but also the community of cats that slowly prowl through the garden. I must have seen more than 5 different cats stare in at us through the window, surely confused at who we are. It is clear to see that our back garden has turned into a jungle for all wildlife to live together.
My mother said that she was “really enjoying seeing the wildlife in our garden” however had some concerns, especially over a “fox that was out there the other day, that was really scratching and biting at its tail”, a clear sign of mange, which is a disease caused by termites in the animal's fur.
As with many other animals, such as urban foxes, squirrels have had much more confidence when out and about due to the lockdown we had earlier this year. “Coronavirus lockdowns globally have given parts of the natural world a rare opportunity to experience life with hardly any humans around”, said the BBC in an article this April, when most of the world had gone into a lockdown. I am sure many others are delighted by the scenes of nature we can witness in our streets more prominently than ever.
The website “Live Science” gives a brief explanation to the strange nature of squirrels chasing each other, stating that it would most likely be a way of marking their territory, or a sign of a male squirrel attempting to find a mate for the year. Either way, their quick movement and joyous play is quite a spectacle to look upon.
It is most certainly a delight to see the wildlife in our garden daily, whether that be foxes skulking through the bushes or squirrels playfully chasing each other around tree stumps. It seems as though lockdown has brought out a much bolder side in the animals that we are seeing more and more in our daily lives.
