Why Bangor, Maine Might Be the Wildest City in New England (Literally)

Broadway in Bangor is one of the busiest streets in Maine's Queen City. Despite the high traffic in the area, it's not uncommon to see some wildlife you might not expect so close to the hustle and bustle.

Such was the case Sunday, when a moose was spotted on a security camera outside the entrance to St. Joseph Hospital.

Moose have been spotted in the city many times in recent years. Frankly, wherever you are in Bangor, you're closer than you think to the wooded and watered areas many wild critters call home.

Most wild animals -- even in urban areas -- keep their distance from humans. But Bangor residents coexist with foxes, deer, skunks, groundhogs, opossums -- and, yes -- moose.

Of course, that's not even mentioning all the other smaller animals -- chipmunks, gray squirrels, mice, voles, etc.-- that frequent dense neighborhoods.

Coyote Sightings Prompt Concerns

Earlier this year, residents of the Fairmount neighborhood spotted coyotes near the Bangor Municipal Golf Course -- raising concerns about the safety of domestic animals, particularly cats, in the area.

READ MORE: Places Every Stephen King Fan Must Stop While Visiting Bangor

In some ways, we're lucky here in Bangor that we might see a bald eagle flying overhead or a moose clomping down a residential street. Wildlife officials rightly urge people to keep a safe distance from wild animals, so heed that advice.

Frankly, wherever you are in Bangor, you're closer than you think to the wooded and watered areas many wild critters call home.

Recently, we -- keeping that safe distance of course -- caught some cute, baby gray foxes playing in a backyard no more than 100 yards from Main Street -- which is even busier than Broadway.

Mom (or dad?) was close by, making sure this videographer didn't get too close. He didn't.

Enter the Opossum

It wasn't long ago when encountering an opossum in Bangor -- or anywhere north of Portland -- was unheard of. In recent years, however, several of the reclusive marsupials have migrated north to the Queen City.

Turns out that while they might make a den under your garage, opossums are great for controlling the tick population. Plus, unlike those pesky groundhogs, they won't destroy your garden.

Backyard Bangor Birds

With the Kenduskeag Stream and Penobscot River carving their ways in and around the city, there's plenty of water for wildlife. Plus, it gives us here in Bangor a chance to see bald eagles that nest and hunt in the area.

Bald eagles are often seen in the city limits, but backyard birders also have noticed some newcomers to the area -- expanding the diversity of wildlife here even more.

Included among those newcomers is the Carolina Wren, whose northern range until recently extended only to southern New England. Today? Well, the Carolina Wren below is far from the first I've seen -- or heard -- in my Bangor backyard.

There are even reports of a new (to Bangor) type of crow in the wildlife mix.

With all of this wildlife -- and seemingly more on the way -- it's not a stretch to say that Bangor just might be the "wildest" city in New England.

Whether it is or not (who's to say?), enjoy the wildlife out there, my fellow Bangorians. Not everyone is as lucky.