Whether a bobcat crosses your path at River Legacy Park, or a rabbit hops through your yard, it is evident that Arlington is full of amazing wildlife. Mapped reports of wildlife sightings are loaded with a wide range of animal types sharing our environment. A key to living harmoniously with wildlife is to let wildlife be wild.

Arlington initiated a Sustainable Wildlife Program to implement proven best practices for living and coexisting with wildlife to help attain the best outcome for people, domestic pets, and wildlife in the community.

Arlington Animal Services offers a fun ‘Let Wildlife Be Wild’ T-shirt encouraging this mantra. Donations for this T-shirt support responsible pet ownership and animal education. Available in camouflage or dark green, adult sizes are available with a $20 donation and $15 each for youth sizes. Foot tracks of wildlife common to our area are shown on the back of these shirts, with the dark green shirts showing the names of the critters’ prints.

Did you know opossums eat bugs, including mosquitoes, and small rodents that prey upon gardens? Perhaps you do not have a garden and would rather not receive visits from opossums…Helpful tips on ways to discourage unwanted visits from opossums and other wildlife are provided on the urban wildlife website. Click here to learn more about wildlife in Arlington.

The American Dream City is working to improve the landscape for pollinators. More than 20 designated waystations were created as a welcoming habitat to help save Monarch Butterflies.

 As a certified Bee City USA affiliate, Arlington is working to reverse the dwindling population of bees to help sustain this pollinating insect, essential to billions of dollars’ worth of food production each year.

 Join us in our wildlife educational efforts and order a ‘Let Wildlife be Wild’ T-shirt today! Donations support educational initiatives in our community.