In the field of architecture and urban planning, antropocentrism refers to the fact that cities or urban spaces are often planned with the focus on human needs and experiences, often ignoring other creatures or nature - the alleys cutting through the forest without a walkway for animals, greenhouses that often make birds unable to see and crash in... These are just a few basic examples in urban planning that do not care about nature.
That is why I like countries or cities, where nature in general and animals in particular can coexist and coexist with humans. As people often say "a healthy land for birds to nest", cities where animals can exist for humans often bring a gentle, relaxing, unassuming feeling with fresh air.
For those who love animals and want to admire the natural beauty, there are still many places for visitors to see animals that seem to only exist in nature or movies - right in the urban space.
Sri Lanka - where you can meet elephants on the roadside
Sri Lanka is one of the countries I especially love because people can live in harmony with nature. Not only do they have many stray dogs or cats like some other Asian countries, cities in Sri Lanka are also home to many wild animals.
You can see them wandering in alleys, flying on the roofs, and walking around the city as if there were no humans. In some cities and towns near the forest such as Sigiriya, visitors can see large monkeys or even wild elephants on the roadside. Looking up at the tree canopy, I once saw vultures and sand- tallied birds (land phoenixes). If you go to the southern coastal cities of Sri Lanka such as Mirissa, Galle, you can find coastal or rough seas with many coastlines.
When coming to Sri Lanka, one of the cities that tourists should not miss is Kandy - a famous place for the Buddha's Dentistry, a place that preserves the Buddha's teeth and gilds. In addition to historical relics, Kandy is also famous for the lake right in the heart of the city with a diverse ecosystem, a gathering place for many animals such as:ee bach, cho trang, bo nong, cung cung nho, cung cung An Do, turtles, water festivals, fruit-ating bat... No matter where you stand around the lake, visitors can see the presence of many animals.
animals in modern cities in the US
The US is famous for modern cities such as New York, San Francisco, Boston... but behind the beauty of skyscrapers, visitors can still find many spaces where animals can comfortably live with humans.
I lived for 2 years near Boston, USA. For international students in Asia, the first time seeing sows running around in the schoolyard or a herd of dozens of goosebumps leisurely making a living in a park near their home is a special experience.
In the summer, many tourists board tourist boats departing from Boston or suburban cities to go out to sea to see whale and pork with the promise "if you don't see any whale, you will be paid". I also had a similar experience in the summer of 2023 and was lucky to see the whale many times.
However, the city that left me with the most impression was probably San Francisco. If you have the opportunity to visit San Francisco, visitors should not miss Port 39 (Pier 39). After the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco in October 1989, a few sea lions chose the K-Dock area, Port 39, as their home. After a short time, the number of sea lions gathered here increased. During the peak summer season, from May to June 2024, the number of sea lions recorded at port 39 reached more than 3,000.
For tourists, Port 39 has become a must-see destination for San Francisco. On the coastal road or in neighboring entertainment areas, people's lives are bustling; below the wharf, the herd of sea lions are still lying exposed to the sun, resting, and not caring about people.
Kyrgyzstan's vast steppe
For Kyrgyzstan - one of the few remaining exotic countries in the world, it would be a bit wrong to talk about the coexistence of wildlife in big cities, but Kyrgyzstan is one of the few countries where I have seen large herds of horses on the steppe during the migration seasons.
Passing through the long roads connecting towns and cities of Kyrgyzstan, I saw herds of horses leisurely grazed. This afternoon, by Song-kul Lake - one of the most famous freshwater lakes in Kyrgyzstan, for the first time I witnessed thousands of horses, sheep, and goats being grazed by herders. It is one of the most impressive agricultural landscapes I have experienced in my life - not created for visitors to see but taking place naturally.
