Animal City

One of the unexpected treats of moving to California is witnessing first hand the amazing abundance of interactions that occurs between urban environments and wildlife. From the sea lions at San Francisco’s fisherman’s wharf, to the occasional sighting of coyotes on hiking trails located right near the Golden Gate Bridge, the usual urban animal encounters of pigeons, rats and pet dogs (except pugs, of course) simply doesn’t make the grade anymore.

On recent trip to Southern California (when I visited the Salk Institute designed by Louis Kahn), I came across this pier that had a large crowd of people gawking at the snoozing seals (up to 50 or so) on an adjacent beach. The sound of traffic and crowds on the promenade behind me was ever present, and the weather was gloriously sunny; it certainly beats seeing the usual seagulls.