Look Look Look! Wildlife at McMaster!

"Look Look Look! Wildlife at McMaster!", August 2008

In writing this article, some of you are going to think I have a few screws loose (that may be true...but anyways...). However, in going to McMaster we are lucky enough to be out of the concrete jungle, and thus there is a variety of flora and fauna right at our doorsteps. The McMaster property borders Cootes Paradise, an 840-hectare wildlife sanctuary

that has a 250-hectare coastal wetland within it; but there is a variety of wildlife on campus as well. Even though I grew up in a rural setting, I still find it remarkable to see the animals up-close in the wild. Some of you grew up in an urban setting and haven’t had the experience of seeing animals outside of a zoo (with the exception of pigeons). Others may not have grown up in Ontario or Canada, so some of the animals here will be completely foreign to you. Regardless of your experiences, there is a lot of animal life on the McMaster campus, and it is something you should be aware of...for both your safety and your enjoyment.

Canada Geese
BE CAREFUL WITH THESE! Not only do they poop everywhere and cause a mess, but they are mean! Sometimes if you start to chase them they will hiss at you and chase you right back (this has happened to me...more than once...this month). They are also very protective of their goslings. They are also an animal protected by law, so you are not allowed to harm them (no matter how tempting it may be).

Chipmunks
Chipmunks are similar to in body shape to squirrels, but smaller (and I think are much cuter). This may be due to our association with them in popular culture, from Disney’s Chip and Dale as well as Alvin and the Chipmunk. Unlike the animated kind, these ones don’t sing, nor do they like to be around humans all that much.

Deer
If you have never been able to see a live deer outside of a zoo setting, you may be lucky enough to see one while at McMaster. My very first night here I saw a small herd of deer eating in Faculty Hollow. One of the guys I went to high school with literally ran into (i.e. crashed into) a deer on an early morning run (both were un-hurt). Deer often frequent the areas close to Cootes: Hedden, Brandon, Les Prince and Bates. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see them from your window. If you are also on the Back 10 fields before 8am you may see them out there as well. Although very shy animals, if you are quiet sometimes you can get close to them by accident.

Fox
Our MSU President Azim recently reported seeing one from his office window one night. Despite them being a rather bright shade of orange, fox are a tricky animal to catch. This is perhaps the reason behind the sneaky like a fox idea. If you see one of these on campus, consider yourself very lucky.

Hawks
Hawks are gorgeous birds, and ones not usually found in close proximity to people. This past year, there was a pair that lived on campus during the spring, and they were often seen in the area around Edwards. There also seems to be a particular hawk (specifically a red-tailed hawk) on campus that you can get close to while it is on the ground. In March of 2007 I walked up to (within about 15 feet, before I got told not to get any closer) to a hawk eating a rabbit. Then this June, I got within six or seven feet of a hawk in the quad near JHE and BSB by the big willow trees. It was awesome to have gotten that close. I could see how long the talons were on its feet; it was really impressive (and admittedly a little bit scary).

Rabbits
I clearly saw a dead rabbit as mentioned in the previous section about hawks. But on many occasions early in the morning and towards dusk I have seen rabbits on campus, usually eating dandelions. They are very timid creatures, and will run (like a scared rabbit ha ha) from humans if we are to get too close. But you have to admit, even though they’re found all over the world, they’re still really cute.

Raccoons
These are nature’s garbage cans. I suppose then it often makes sense to find them in garbage cans on campus. These creatures are omnivores and scavengers, so they will eat things that we would normally pass up. They are very crafty animals, and have very dexterous fingers which they can use to open and get into many things. Thus, many people really dislike them (as then have a tendency to make a mess on garbage day). Also, you should be wary if a racoon gets too close to you and shows no fear, as raccoons often carry rabies.

Skunks
These black and white animals will release a foul-smelling spray when frightened or surprised. I haven’t seen one of these on campus since my first year. A buddy of mine wanted to go after it, because he had a little bit too much “ginger ale” that night. In a cruel way I wish I had let him go after it, just because I think it would have been hilarious to see about forty cans of tomato juice in the recycling room in residence. But, I don’t think most people would have liked to deal with the rather pungent odour. However funny that may be, if you do end up seeing one I really suggest you admire it from afar.

Seagulls
Ah, the majestic seagull. Okay, the not so majestic and somewhat irritating seagull. As the name implies, they should be close to the sea. I don’t know what they’re doing on campus, but for some reason they are here. Be wary of them when they fly overhead...otherwise you’ll come to know their other name, which for censorship reasons I must call the asterisk hawk (asterisk being a synonym for poop).

Squirrels
SQUIRREL!!! One of the most plentiful animals you will see on campus is from taxonomic family Sciuridae. (Heh. The name means “scurries”). There are lots of squirrels on campus, most of which are black squirrels. Black squirrels I found out recently are not found in the United States, so many people from the US are fascinated by them. You may also see some red and gray squirrels frolicking around as well. They are weird animals, and do some odd things (maybe that’s my fault though?). They have gotten used to people, and are quite tame. But not so tame that they allow you to feed them. They do sometimes end up walking down stairs of the Arts Quad buildings. And some of the more bold ones will stare you down...

Of course, there are plenty of other animals you will see on campus, so I can’t go into detail about them all. But here is a list of some of other ones: robins, garter snakes, opossums, cardinals, toads, goldfinches, bats, chickadees, groundhogs, owls, many species of insect, and marauders. I’m probably missing a whole bunch from the list, especially birds. But keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready and you’ll be sure to capture some wildlife while you’re here.