scavenger animals in an Asian city?

dinky_dau · Nov 21, 2016

Just 'noodling' on a story and wondered if anyone has any personal familiarity with urban 'wildlife' in any of the big Asian metropolises.

I've traveled in Asia but always avoided the big megalopolises. How do the scavengers there differ from the same environments in the west?

No, don't 'do my work for me'--I already have a working list--just wondering if I can add any further species I may have overlooked. Thank you!

mccardey · Nov 21, 2016

Asia is big. In parts of South East Asia (I'm thinking towns and suburbs rather than big cities) the monkeys are prime scavengers. They have a massive talent for it. Also the cats (which are tailless in Malaysia).

Mostly, though - rats.

dinky_dau · Nov 21, 2016

That's an excellent reminder. I hadn't even considered this angle (I dislike apes and monkeys) and its exactly what I need. I didn't see a single monkey in my touring; wrong part of the region. Thank you very much!

Helix · Nov 21, 2016

Also rats, black kites

dinky_dau · Nov 21, 2016

Thank you, Helix

frimble3 · Nov 22, 2016

Feral dogs?

mccardey · Nov 22, 2016

frimble3 said:
Feral dogs?

Depends which part of Asia. From what little I've seen, the Muslim and majority-Muslim countries have fewer dogs because they're fairly unpopular. Parts of India seemed to be awash with dogs a few years ago - but that might have been mostly my fear of rabies - and for scavengers, you couldn't beat cows and goats.

But mostly rats.

Albedo · Nov 22, 2016

mccardey said:
Depends which part of Asia. From what little I've seen, the Muslim and majority-Muslim countries have fewer dogs because they're fairly unpopular. Parts of India seemed to be awash with dogs a few years ago - but that might have been mostly my fear of rabies - and for scavengers, you couldn't beat cows and goats.

But mostly rats.

There's a sad reason for the dogs. Vultures were hugely important as scavengers in the subcontinent, until the Asian Vulture Crisis nearly wiped them out. It turns out using huge quantities of human pharmaceuticals for non-medical reasons in agriculture has unintended consequences. I mean beyond just total antibiotic resistance and other minor issues. Boom, the vulture population collapsed by 99%, feral dogs took over Indian cities, and yep, rabies exploded.

Helix · Nov 22, 2016

The decline in vultures is appalling.

I'd imagine that (in some places) biawaks might be scavengers. I've encountered them on field work in Malaysia and Indonesia, but that was on islands rather than in cities. They are worse than bloody bin chickens.

scavenger animals in an Asian city?

dinky_dau

Cowabunga!

mccardey

dinky_dau

Cowabunga!

Helix

socially distancing

dinky_dau

Cowabunga!

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

mccardey

Albedo

Alex

Helix

socially distancing