A New Penn Vet Study is Finding Where the Wild Things Are: Right Here in Philly!
The Accessing Urban Nature Initiative (AUNI) is using motion-triggered cameras across Philadelphia to document the city’s hidden wildlife and foster healthier, more connected communities where people and animals can thrive together.
Two raccoon kits play hide-and-seek. A giant heron strikes a stately pose. A mink takes a solo stroll. Where were all these wildlife wonders found? Right in the city of Philadelphia.
A new project, the Accessing Urban Nature Initiative (AUNI), has started capturing images of seldom seen but decidedly special city dwellers like these – and many others – with the ultimate goal of making life better for animals and people alike.
“We want to make it possible for humans and animals to be able to safely co-exist in city areas,” said Julie Carol Ellis, PhD, a wildlife ecologist who is the AUNI project leader, adjunct associate professor of pathobiology and associate director of One Health at Penn Vet, and interim faculty director of Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative. Read more about AUNI within Penn Vet.