Most animals naturally fear humans, but not these unexpected creatures. Some have adapted to city life, lost their wild instincts, or show clear signs of being fed up with humans. These animals are no longer threatened by us. Some tolerate or exploit us. And some even become confrontational. Let’s meet them.
1. Domesticated Red Junglefowl
Bred in labs for over just 11 generations, these chicken ancestors had their instinctive fear response to humans reduced by 50%. Compared to their wild relatives, they now nonchalantly graze alongside people.
2. Lab-Evolved Fruit Flies
Decades of growing in labs made these flies lazy. Instead of flying away from threats, they stumble around like they own the place. Scientists joke they’ve lost their “fight or flight” response. Being slow and unaware might be a fatal evolutionary oversight.
3. Urban Foxes (London Suburbs)
These city foxes no longer hide away in the shadows. They search bins in broad daylight, nap in backyards, and walk up to people like they’re neighborhood pets. Some even let humans hand-feed them, which is very unlike rural fox behaviour.
4. Temple Macaques (Bali, India)
Tourists started feeding Temple Macaques. But they began stealing sunglasses, wallets, even passports without hesitation. They even ‘barter’ for food. If you give them what they want, they’ll return your belongings.
5. Rescue Orangutans (Sumatra)
Orangutans raised by humans generally don’t fear them at all. Some even pose for selfies. Conservationists struggle to reintroduce them to the wild because instead of avoiding people, they follow them around, which isn’t ideal when poachers exist.
6. Habituated Tasmanian Devils
Wild Tasmanian Devils are notably cautious of humans, avoiding them at all costs. But those born in captivity have lost their natural wariness. Instead of running away or snarling, they walk right up to researchers in the hopes of receiving food. Some Tasmanian Devils even tolerate medical exams without sedation.
7. Petting Zoo Alpacas
Alpacas are naturally skittish. But after generations in petting zoos, they’ll let kids, adults, even screaming babies, stroke their heads. They don’t always like it, but they tolerate it.
8. Disney World Alligators
Despite their being dangerous, Florida’s wild alligators typically avoid humans. But not Disney World’s ones. They associate human voices with meal time and ignore alarms meant to keep them away. Some even “perform” for caretakers.
9. Moscow Metro Dogs
These stray dogs use the subway like commuters. They fearlessly get on trains, nap on seats, and beg for food from passengers. They even know their stops.
10. Airport Perimeter Coyotes (LAX)
Nothing fazes these coyotes. They don’t fear planes, engines, or humans. They hunt under landing lights and treat runways like their personal backyards. They completely ignore ground crew. They’ve adapted so well that they might as well apply for airport jobs.
11. Chernobyl Wildlife
In the radioactive exclusion zone of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, close the city of Pripyat in northern Ukraine, wild horses, wolves and boars freely roam. They seem completely unbothered by Geiger counters or cleanup crews and appear to be thriving.
12. Social Media Famous Animals
Certain animals aren’t just surviving around humans: they are thriving. From @PizzaRat’s subway slice to @TrashPandaOverlords’ staged bin robberies, these brash animals have turned survival into a spectacle. If they’re not fed up with humans, they’re fearlessness: jungle fowl raised in laboratories become tame, temple monkeys barter with visitors, airport coyotes ignore engines, and city fox kits become bin raiders. These animals have lost their fear of humans, finding new means to survive. They’ve either taken advantage of human presence or have begun thriving in less conventional spaces. It seems the saying is true: nature finds a way.
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