Seattle U. professor 'captures' urban carnivores

Seattle University biology Professor Mark Jordan set up cameras in public green spaces around Seattle to document urban predators like coyotes, opossums and raccoons. Seattle University biology Professor Mark Jordan set up cameras in public green spaces around Seattle to document urban predators like coyotes, opossums and raccoons. Photo: Courtesy Mark Jordan Photo: Courtesy Mark Jordan Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Seattle U. professor 'captures' urban carnivores 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

The Emerald City is developing into an Amazon-fueled concrete jungle, but that doesn't mean the city's wildlife is moving out.

Thousands of "urban predators" near the top of the food chain still call the city home, and Seattle University biology Professor Mark Jordan has "captured" a lot of them. Jordan and his students have been setting up camera traps throughout Seattle's green spaces for years, compiling thousands of images of the city's wildlife.

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"The big-picture question I'm interested in is how does urbanization affect wild mammals, in particular predatory mammals that are higher up on the food chain?" Jordan told Crosscut in a story that ran earlier this month.

One predator that seems to be faring well amid the changes? Raccoons. The ubiquitous, omnivorous creatures have taken to urban living.

"We've gotten at least one photograph of a raccoon in every single park that we've sampled," Jordan told Crosscut.

Other animals caught by Jordan's cameras include coyotes, opossums and the occasional house cat. Check out some of Jordan's favorite shots in the gallery above.

Seattlepi.com reporter Stephen Cohen can be reached at 206-448-8313 or stephencohen@seattlepi.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @scohenPI.