I have a wildlife zoo

"Urban animals?"

Fang Ye explained, "Yes, like recently we're preparing to set up an agricultural field exhibition area to let visitors understand the ecosystem in the fields, know where their food comes from, and how food that is environmentally friendly is grown. The themes are along these lines.

I also plan to build a corresponding urban animal exhibition area later on, which will mainly focus on how humans and animals can coexist together. Can you provide some examples in this regard?"

Wang Yan nodded in understanding and after pondering for a moment said, "Urban animals are very interesting, completely different from wild animals in the countryside. I remember traveling to Chicago about six or seven years ago, staying near the botanical garden. My friend excitedly said, 'If you stay here, you might see 1242.'

"1242?"

"1242 is a coyote, I saw him the very first night I stayed there.

He walked past a construction site, the site was lit up and flashing warnings, but 1242 seemed very relaxed and at ease, apparently fully adapted to the urban environment.

But soon we began to see him during the day too, which puzzled me. The staff in Chicago earnestly told me, 'Wang, you came at the right time, as we might be witnessing a new change in the coyote 1242 represents, shifting from nocturnal to diurnal activities.

Because 1242's mate, 1244, had been shot by a resident a couple of weeks earlier when she wandered into their backyard. But 1242 and 1244 were raising a litter together, and he alone couldn't provide enough food for the young coyotes.

So he began to forage not only at night but also during the day, and we just happened to witness this rapid change these past few days."

Then from the videos and materials tracking coyotes by the researchers, we learned that coyotes in the city look at traffic lights; they know that it's safe to cross when the pedestrian crossing turns green, sauntering past the cars, and they also know which places are dangerous, where there is food, which dogs can be provoked and which cannot.

The staff then told us, 'We are always underestimating the coyote's ability to adapt to city life. Coyotes are constantly refreshing our understanding of them.

Along Lake Michigan, there's a narrow belt of greenery encircling the lake. 1242 can traverse the entire city along this green belt, and then penetrate deeper into the city center in areas where the greenery is better and safer.

About 20 years ago, there were no coyotes in Chicago, but by the time I went there, there were already over 1,200 coyotes in this forest, with their range continually expanding. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

They seem to be able to utilize public transportation, appear very cohesive, are very ferocious towards their prey, but they are disciplined not to harm humans.

Before, people thought there were places where coyotes could not exist, could not stay, but they've reached all those places.

Before, people thought coyotes were solitary, but now we're seeing a special behavior where if young coyotes can't find a large habitat, the parents will allow them to live with them, even provide some help, and siblings don't quickly disperse, there's a phase of unity and cooperation."

Fang Ye listened with great interest, "So you're saying that after entering cities, coyotes change their behavior rapidly to adapt to urban life."

Wang Yan took a sip of water, "Exactly, it's not just behavior, even their physiology can change. There was an interesting study on foxes this year in the United Kingdom, where they found that urban red foxes have turned themselves into dogs."

Fang Ye was a bit dumbfounded, "Turned into dogs, what do you mean?"

Wang Yan laughed and said, "That is, the body size of the red fox is getting smaller, and there is usually a size difference between the male and female, with the male being stronger and more aggressive. But in the city, it's becoming difficult to tell the males from the females just by looking at their size."

The originally pointy fox ears have turned round, and even droopy, beginning to resemble the appearance of a dog's, with both their size and aggressiveness on the decline.

Their sharp snouts, meant for hunting, have slowly transformed into short, rounded muzzles in the city, making them look cuter and better suited for scavenging, picking up human food."

Fang Ye listened, stunned, "It's truly incredible, the speed of evolution is too fast."

Wang Yan said, "Yes, once animals adapt to urban life, there will be a very rapid evolution.

There was a study on the striped field mouse a couple of years ago. Originally, researchers thought the mice lived in the city in a possibly poor state, with so many cats, lights, and the constant back-and-forth of cars, suggesting a very tense situation.

But actual research found that these mice actually lived very comfortably and relaxedly, with their stress hormones significantly lower than those of field mice.

If you poke a field mouse or give it a slight electric shock, it will be very alarmed, affecting its eating and sleeping habits and the rhythm of its life, but the city mouse doesn't care, you poke me, and I just keep doing what I do.

Its immune system, endocrine, and hormonal regulation, as well as its response to external stimuli, have all become more resilient due to urban life."

Fang Ye feels something familiar about this and says with a chuckle, "Isn't this the 'lying flat' phenomenon we have now? Better to live a more relaxed life than to work oneself to death."

Wang Yan also laughed, "Indeed, there are many similarities. This is also a kind of adaptability demonstrated by humans."

Fang Ye asked seriously, "About coyotes, red foxes and such, you spoke of them adjusting to the city, changing themselves to adapt to it, are there any positive actions we humans have taken proactively?"

Wang Yan's face showed a trace of emotion, "The monarch butterfly is one example that particularly stands out to me."

Fang Ye raised his eyebrows, "Oh, the monarch butterfly!"

The monarch butterfly must be one of the world's most famous butterflies!

Black-edged wings, orange-yellow feathers; not only are they beautiful, but their migration is also quite spectacular, almost covering the sky. I've seen the butterfly many times in documentaries as a child.

Wang Yan started to explain, "Americans especially love the monarch butterfly, both for raising and admiring them, but in the past 20 years, the population of monarch butterflies has decreased by 80%, with their numbers plummeting, bringing the monarch butterfly to the brink of vulnerability and even endangerment. At this rate, they might become extinct in a few decades."

Fang Ye let out a slight sigh.

"It was discovered that the sharp decline in their numbers was due to increasingly high temperatures, habitat destruction, extensive use of insecticides and herbicides, as well as the inaction of the U.S. government in managing areas along highways.

However, pushing the government and the Department of Transportation to establish laws and regulations regarding insecticides and herbicides, to make such a change, is very difficult."