In my tree shaded neighborhood in the East End of the city of Pittsburgh, I regularly see white tailed deer, racoons, groundhogs, chipmunks, possums, rabbits, rats, mice, and so many squirrels it's unbelievable. I have also seen foxes and skunks, but rarely. I see crows, robins, flocks of wild turkeys, pheasants, red tailed hawks, bard owls, cardinals, finches, starlings, wrens, blue jays, vultures, morning doves, scarlet tanigers, hummingbirds, the hateful Canadian Snow Geese, and on the rivers there are osprey and even sea gulls. This isn't a complete list by any means, and I didn't get into insects or fish.

Why such biodiversity, in a city yet? Because there is a lack of predators, people can't let their dogs run loose, and there is no hunting in a city. When I camp in the woods in the rural counties around Pittsburgh, I rarely see any wildlife. Maybe the conventional wisdom about biodiversity is wrong.