Wildlife in unwild places

From Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,'' in GoLocal24.com

I remain astonished by the number of rabbits in some affluent urban neighborhoods, such as the East Side of Providence. Far more than you’d see in many more rural areas. But rabbits are as opportunistic as most animals. These neighborhoods are relatively safe for most wild animals: Most dogs are leashed (though too many irresponsible cat owners let the pets run free to kill birds and small mammals), there’s plenty of water from residents’ irrigation systems and lots of plants to eat, albeit some with toxic levels of pesticides.

Thus the best places for  some wildlife (raccoons come to mind) are in places that are anything but wild. Another sign of how humans have made the world topsy-turvy.