Who needs a ridiculously expensive visa for Tanzania or a bumpy jeep tour through the savanna when you have the “Big Five” of the big city right on your doorstep? Forget exotic long-distance trips. In Berlin, the safari begins between the S-Bahn ring and the Späti. Whether it’s armored crustaceans in the park pond or furry trash can pirates in the backyard—if you’re going on a discovery tour through the Berlin jungle, you don’t need binoculars, just a little curiosity and an open eye for Berlin’s animal residents. Here are a few places where you might be lucky enough to spot wildlife.
Berlin’s wet city dwellers
Beneath the surface of Berlin’s canals and parks lies an astonishing biodiversity that often only becomes apparent at second glance. Especially in the Tiergarten, the bright red American crayfish regularly make headlines when they wander across the paths after rain. A few kilometers away, in a prime Kreuzberg location—namely right in the middle of Engelbecken—exotic lettered turtles bask on floating branches. These former pets have adapted perfectly to city life and share their habitat with nimble water rats amid the urban hustle and bustle, drawing curious glances from passersby.
Berlin’s flying city dwellers
In the air and in the treetops, Berlin shows its feathered side. While on the idyllic Peacock Island, magnificent peacocks impress visitors with their iridescent tails, Volkspark Friedrichshain offers a paradise for amateur ornithologists. Here, in addition to colorful jays and busy great spotted woodpeckers, you can also spot birds of prey like the goshawk, which nests in the tall treetops. Berlin’s parks serve as important refuges and songbird sanctuaries, carrying the chirping of birds even to the noisiest corners of the metropolis and making urban nature a daily experience for every resident.
Foxes and rabbits on Berlin’s streets
Berlin is a true paradise for wildlife, which is particularly evident among the mammals. In Mauerpark, curious foxes are almost part of the cityscape, boldly roaming past the barbecue areas. In stark contrast are the massive water buffalo in the Rudow-Altglienicke Landscape Park, which maintain the damp meadows there as natural lawnmowers. In the green spaces of Park am Gleisdreieck, wild rabbits also dart through the bushes time and again. These Berlin-based animals have learned to skillfully use the niches between concrete and asphalt to their advantage and successfully survive here, impressively demonstrating the fascinating adaptability of urban nature.
