{"id":2173,"date":"2020-04-12T07:11:05","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T07:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/?p=2173"},"modified":"2020-04-12T09:02:50","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T09:02:50","slug":"city-animals-nuisance-or-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/en\/animal_plants\/city-animals-nuisance-or-neighbors\/","title":{"rendered":"City animals: nuisance or neighbors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"City Animals: Nuisance or Neighbors?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iVNBmdZO_es?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Global urban development is at an all-time high, and with that comes the loss of biodiversity, habitat degradation, and the increased frequency of deforestation practices. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.worldbank.org\/opendata\/five-forest-figures-international-day-forests\">World Bank<\/a>, the planet experienced a loss of 1.3 million square kilometers (502,000 square miles) of forest between 1990 and 2016. With this continuing trend of replacing the natural environment with an artificial one, animal populations hang in the balance, and many relocate and integrate themselves into the encroaching urban landscape, upon which many species are completely reliant. Their inevitable encounters with people are traditionally met with disdain and are treated as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a\nteam of researchers has designed a project that bridges the relationship-gap\nbetween humans and city-dependent animals to transform feelings of disgust to\nfeelings of acceptance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The\nSynanthrope from New York to Tel Aviv<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Created by interdisciplinary artist and researcher Gal Nissim and software designer and developer Jessica Scott-Dutcher, the <a href=\"http:\/\/synpreserve.com\/\">Synanthrope Preserve Project<\/a> is comprised of a collection of immersive audio experiences. It connects and explores the often-overlooked relationship dynamics between people who live in urban-dominated areas and the synanthropic creatures who benefit from living in those artificial habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So\nfar, Nissim\u2019s art and science blended work has been largely focused in New York\nCity where there are already three different synanthropic experiences in which\none can participate: \u201cThe Blue Pigeon\u201d in Washington Square Park which explores\npigeons, \u201cThe Washing Bear\u201d in Central Park which involves raccoons, and \u201cThe\nFirst to Cross\u201d in Tompkins Square Park which focuses on rats. Now, Nissim\u2019s\nwork is expanding to include an audio tour that considers the history and\npresent-day status of the jackal population at the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set\nto launch in 2021, the Golden Howl experience will provide participants with an\nin-depth look at the simultaneous evolution of the park itself from the mid-20th\ncentury alongside the state of the jackal population during that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, this will hopefully yield a greater understanding among city folk concerning the life histories of these creatures, and perhaps diminish any negative perceptions towards them. Although the structure of the tour is still in development, it will, in its own unique way, mirror the themes in the preceding audio tours with the intent to shift people\u2019s perspectives and preconceived notions towards urban animal life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mert-guller-e0O18yMqles-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>\u201cThe First to Cross\u201d in Tompkins Square Park is one of the Synanthrope Preserve Project&#8217;s audio experiences which focuses on rats in New York City. Photo by&nbsp;Mert Guller&nbsp;on&nbsp;Unsplash<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Changing Perceptions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From\nthe Greek term, <em>synanthropos, <\/em>which literally translates to \u201ctogether\nwith man,\u201d \u2018synanthrope\u2019 refers to a member of an animal species that lives in\nproximity to human beings and benefits from the artificial habitats people\nassemble around themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But\nregardless of the terminology, with urbanization only expanding, the number of\ninstances of animals taking shelter within the city landscape is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/5\/4\/401\/htm\">increasing<\/a>. This kind of phenomenon\nhas been occurring for so long that some animals have become utterly dependent\non cities to thrive, suggesting that urban areas can function as ecosystems\njust as naturally occurring ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However,\nthe perceptions of these synanthropic animals like rats, raccoons, and pigeons\nare usually negative and are frequently treated lethally as a knee-jerk\nreaction. But as Nissim describes it, lethal methods of controlling species that\nare considered pests tend to create a chain reaction that inadvertently affects\nother animals that are not seen as pests. \u201cAt the beginning, New York City\nstarted using poison to kill rats, but then the urban hawks started dying from\neating the poisoned rats,\u201d she says. While the city learned from its mistake\nand corrected it by employing a more contained method in the form of\nadministering suffocation through the use of dry ice, Nissim sought for a more\nharmonious alternative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an eye for the permeating elements of nature that are often overlooked, Nissim collaborated with colleagues from NYU\u2019s Telecommunications program to create the Synanthrope Preserve Project with the intention of raising questions and awareness for the things that we as a society take for granted \u2013 in this case, common city animals. The audio tours are meant to identify the disconnect that exists between human beings and animals and showcase the gravity human consumption behaviors have on perpetuating their imposition onto us. Nissim\u2019s project aims at shifting people\u2019s perspectives towards these creatures from harsh and neglectful to more considerate in order to enable opportunities for engaging learning and understanding so that perhaps people can augment their actions to better coexist with them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/dan-gold-Xxf8W00NU-A-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>The perceptions of synanthropic animals like rats, raccoons, and pigeons are usually negative and are frequently treated lethally as a knee-jerk reaction. Photo by&nbsp;Dan Gold&nbsp;on&nbsp;Unsplash<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>\u201cChoose-your-own-adventure\u201d<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each\nof the three self-guided audio tours operating in New York City that are about 30\nminutes long have their own web app that can be accessed through one\u2019s phone. All\nthree describe the life histories of the particular animal and how they have\nadapted to their urban niches over time. And not all are structured the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, The First to Cross experience that explores rats in Tompkins Square Park is a \u201cchoose-your-own-adventure style\u201d tour where you can learn something different depending on which direction you want to take. \u201cThe idea was to create a conversation &#8211; having people coming in a group and then splitting up. At the end, I saw that people were talking and sharing which parts they heard with each other and discussing what they had learned,\u201d says Nissim. In this way, participants can become their own guides for others, thus spreading awareness and the knowledge a degree further.&nbsp;The other audio tours are structured more linearly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/2865833414_41bdd2038f_o.jpg 1812w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Nissim\u2019s project aims at shifting people\u2019s perspectives towards these creatures from harsh and neglectful to more considerate in order to better coexist with them. Photo by ZeroOne on Flickr<\/em><br> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Reactions\nand Future Possibilities <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While\nrats in New York City are invasive species and are usually associated with\nfeelings of disgust, jackals are indigenous to Israel and the surrounding\nregion and, more so, yield feelings of mild fear because they are more often\nheard than seen. The Golden Howl experience will allow people the opportunity\nto better understand jackals as residents of Tel Aviv, why their presence and\nour shared coexistence is important, and what can be done to share the habitat\nsafely and equitably.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reactions\nto the Synanthrope audio tours have been overwhelmingly positive thus far. Some\npeople have even compared the experience to a safari. \u201cFor me, it was very\nastonishing to see how many people in New York were excited to see rats, which\nis usually not the case,\u201d explains Nissim. One participant told Nissim that he\nwas able to forget about his smartphone for a whole hour, which is quite a feat\nin the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheir\nphone is how they \u2018experience experiences\u2019, so this is what the audio does for\nyou instead.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs for the future of the Synanthrope\nPreserve Project, it has the potential to go anywhere practically,\u201d Nissim\nsays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe fun thing about it is that it is infinite. I\u2019d be happy to do something about bats and crows. In New York City there are seagulls. And I see more and more animals that are being pushed into the urban space that are actually becoming more successful than their rural counterparts like peregrine falcons,\u201d she concludes <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This ZAVIT article was also published in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.israel21c.org\/city-animals-nuisance-or-neighbors\/\">Israel21c<\/a>&nbsp;on 04\/12\/2020.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Global urban development is at an all-time high, and with that comes the loss of biodiversity, habitat degradation, and the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":2186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14,10],"tags":[],"acf":[],"post-meta-fields":{"_edit_lock":["1586682170:11"],"_oembed_28c0549854148edd0946c6491d3b3031":["<iframe title=\"City Animals: Nuisance or Neighbors?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iVNBmdZO_es?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"],"_oembed_time_28c0549854148edd0946c6491d3b3031":["1586674758"],"_thumbnail_id":["2186"],"_edit_last":["11"],"subtitle":["With cities attracting more people every year, tolerance for urban animal life is in question. An audio tour project created by an Israeli researcher is shifting perspectives"],"_subtitle":["field_59d3d36ea7fe1"],"_wpml_media_duplicate":["1"],"_wpml_media_featured":["1"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/182"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2173"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2195,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2173\/revisions\/2195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zavit.org.il\/intl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}