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Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals...
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Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals in Urban Environments

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Wildlife".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 6012

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Reuven Yosef

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor at the Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 272, Eilat 88106, Israel
Interests: behavior; conservation; breeding; environmental education; migration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance within city environments, contributing significantly to biodiversity and offering essential ecosystem services. These species help control pest populations, pollinate plants, and decompose organic matter, which are vital for urban agriculture and the health of green spaces. Additionally, urban wildlife enhances the quality of life for city dwellers by providing opportunities for recreation, education, and psychological well-being. Interacting with wildlife can foster a deeper connection to nature, promoting conservation efforts and environmental stewardship.

Urban wildlife serves as an indicator of the health of urban ecosystems, highlighting the need for sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure to create habitats that support diverse species while benefiting human residents. The presence of animals such as birds, insects, and small mammals can improve air and water quality, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and even reduce noise pollution. Furthermore, urban wildlife offers educational opportunities, helping city residents, especially children, understand and appreciate the complexities of nature. Overall, integrating wildlife considerations into urban development can lead to healthier, more resilient cities for both humans and wildlife.

The following Special Issue will consider original or review articles that highlight advances in our understanding and monitoring practices of avian adaptations, habitat use and movement patterns in urban areas, and diet and foraging strategies. Studies on the consequences of breeding near humans may include individual- or population-level assessments and how urbanization affects behavioral and physiological changes. We also welcome studies on the development and effectiveness evaluation of mitigation strategies to reduce the incidence of human–wildlife conflicts. Studies that can increase our understanding of innovative techniques, citizen science, future directions, and ethical considerations are particularly welcomed. We will also be happy to include papers that advance theoretical frameworks for understanding urban ecology and wildlife adaptations, present comprehensive datasets, and provide conceptual discussions on the interactions between humans and wildlife in urban settings, including socio-ecological dynamics. This Special Issue will provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge, innovative research, and practical approaches to understanding and managing urban wildlife by including a diverse range of paper types.

Prof. Dr. Reuven Yosef
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban wildlife
  • ecosystem services
  • public health
  • psychological well-being
  • environmental education

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4301 KB  
Article
Do Peri-Urban Areas Act as Refuges for the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.)?
by Ana Cabrera, Cristina Mata and Juan E. Malo
Animals 2025, 15(18), 2719; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182719 - 17 Sep 2025
Viewed by 237
Abstract
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key species in many Mediterranean ecosystems, especially as prey for numerous Iberian predators. Due to its population decline and spatially heterogeneous recovery following different diseases, there is a need to understand the factors driving [...] Read more.
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key species in many Mediterranean ecosystems, especially as prey for numerous Iberian predators. Due to its population decline and spatially heterogeneous recovery following different diseases, there is a need to understand the factors driving local abundance, and a potential refuge effect of anthropized sites has been speculated. In this study, 18 peri-urban areas in Central Spain were selected and a rabbit abundance index was measured in those areas and in parallel controls. Urban occupation and vegetation cover around sampling points were measured, as well as distance to roads, forest patches, and rivers, as factors which can drive rabbit abundance. Linear models were built to unravel general trends in data, from the perspectives of vegetation vs. human occupation and larger landscape-scale effects on rabbit abundance. Negative effects of urban development, distance to roads and proportion of pastures on rabbit abundance were identified, in addition to a positive effect of distance to large forest patches. Regarding urbanization, differences were found among urban types, with a significant negative effect of single-family residential occupation in comparison with multi-family and commercial/industrial occupation. In short, urbanization affects rabbit density, but it does not produce a generalized refuge area surrounding human settlements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals in Urban Environments)
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18 pages, 2138 KB  
Article
Park Visitors and Birds Connected by Trade-Offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services
by Yichao Chen, Liyan Zhang, Zhengkai Zhang, Siwei Chen, Bei Yu and Yu Wang
Animals 2025, 15(17), 2619; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172619 - 6 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1383
Abstract
Parks serve as vital components of green infrastructure within urban ecosystems, providing recreational opportunities that not only enhance human well-being but also support bird diversity. However, the shared use of park spaces by both humans and birds inevitably leads to spatial overlap and [...] Read more.
Parks serve as vital components of green infrastructure within urban ecosystems, providing recreational opportunities that not only enhance human well-being but also support bird diversity. However, the shared use of park spaces by both humans and birds inevitably leads to spatial overlap and natural competition between the two groups. Consequently, addressing the diverse needs of both groups and balancing the ecosystem services provided to each has become an urgent and critical issue. In this study, we conducted bird and social surveys in an urban park and employed the SolVES and MaxEnt models to investigate the spatial patterns of cultural ecosystem services (CES), supporting ecosystem services (SES), and bird plumage color CES in the park. We then analyzed the trade-offs and synergies between different ecosystem service relationship pairs, as well as the factors influencing them, using bivariate spatial autocorrelation and geographical detectors analyses. Our results indicated a synergistic relationship between the recreational value of park CES and both park SES and bird plumage color CES. High-coverage vegetation areas along main roads promoted synergy, benefiting visitors’ appreciation of cultural services, bird roosting, and the supply of plumage color CES. Meanwhile, trade-offs were observed between the aesthetic value of park CES, park SES, and bird plumage color CES, primarily in fitness plazas where noise levels exceeded 70 dB. In contrast, visitors reacted more strongly to disturbances than birds. Furthermore, the colonization of colorful insectivorous birds enhanced the visual aesthetic value while simultaneously increasing the number of bird-feeding guilds and strengthening ecosystem stability. Our study suggests that planting tall trees, especially along park boundaries, expanding the perimeter green separation zone, and incorporating micro-water landscapes will help improve both avian CES and provide a more pleasant environment for visitors in parks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals in Urban Environments)
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14 pages, 2952 KB  
Article
TreeGrid: A Spatial Planning Tool Integrating Tree Species Traits for Biodiversity Enhancement in Urban Landscapes
by Shrey Rakholia, Reuven Yosef, Neelesh Yadav, Laura Karimloo, Michaela Pleitner and Ritvik Kothari
Animals 2025, 15(13), 1844; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131844 - 22 Jun 2025
Viewed by 671
Abstract
Urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and intensifying urban heat island (UHI) effects accelerate biodiversity loss and diminish ecological resilience in cities, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. To address these challenges, we developed TreeGrid, a functionality-based spatial tree planning tool designed specifically for urban settings in the [...] Read more.
Urbanization, habitat fragmentation, and intensifying urban heat island (UHI) effects accelerate biodiversity loss and diminish ecological resilience in cities, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. To address these challenges, we developed TreeGrid, a functionality-based spatial tree planning tool designed specifically for urban settings in the Northern Plains of India. The tool integrates species trait datasets, ecological scoring metrics, and spatial simulations to optimize tree placement for enhanced ecosystem service delivery, biodiversity support, and urban cooling. Developed within an R Shiny framework, TreeGrid dynamically computes biodiversity indices, faunal diversity potential, canopy shading, carbon sequestration, and habitat connectivity while simulating localized reductions in land surface temperature (LST). Additionally, we trained a deep neural network (DNN) model using tool-generated data to predict bird habitat suitability across diverse urban contexts. The tool’s spatial optimization capabilities are also applicable to post-fire restoration planning in wildland–urban interfaces by guiding the selection of appropriate endemic species for revegetation. This integrated framework supports the development of scalable applications in other climate-impacted regions, highlighting the utility of participatory planning, predictive modeling, and ecosystem service assessments in designing biodiversity-inclusive and thermally resilient urban landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals in Urban Environments)
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Review

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19 pages, 2409 KB  
Review
Management of Coexistence and Conflicts Between Humans and Macaques in Japan
by Léane Depret and Cédric Sueur
Animals 2025, 15(6), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060888 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1365
Abstract
Conflicts between humans and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) have intensified due to urban and agricultural expansion, reducing natural habitats and pushing macaques into human settlements. This review examines strategies for managing human–macaque coexistence in Japan. Since the 1970s, urbanisation and deforestation [...] Read more.
Conflicts between humans and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) have intensified due to urban and agricultural expansion, reducing natural habitats and pushing macaques into human settlements. This review examines strategies for managing human–macaque coexistence in Japan. Since the 1970s, urbanisation and deforestation have led to increased macaque migration into populated areas, resulting in property damage, crop loss, and, in some cases, aggressive encounters. The growing macaque population underscores the urgency of effective management programmes. Strategies include preventive measures, such as weeding to limit food sources, habitat modification, and community-based interventions to reduce attractants. Non-lethal deterrents, including visual and auditory scare tactics, trained guard animals, and electric fences, have been implemented to discourage macaques from entering human spaces. Physical barriers, such as fences and buffer zones, provide long-term mitigation but require maintenance and community cooperation. Fertility control, including sterilisation and hormonal contraception, offers a long-term population management solution but presents logistical challenges. Lethal control and capture-relocation, though controversial, remain options for particularly problematic individuals. Additionally, integrating One Health and One Conservation approaches into macaque management allows for a holistic strategy that considers disease risks, ecological balance, and ethical implications. A balanced management plan that incorporates multiple strategies, community participation, and continuous monitoring is crucial for mitigating conflicts and fostering sustainable coexistence between humans and macaques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Wildlife Insights: Exploring the Behavior and Adaptations of Animals in Urban Environments)
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