Illinois cities have become unexpected havens for wildlife as urban development expands into their natural habitats. From Chicago’s sprawling neighborhoods to Springfield’s quiet suburbs, wild animals are adapting to city life with remarkable success.
These clever creatures are finding new ways to survive—and sometimes thrive—in our backyards, creating both fascinating encounters and frustrating challenges for homeowners across the Prairie State.
1. Raccoons: Midnight Dumpster Divers
Those knocked-over trash cans aren’t accidents—raccoons with their nimble paws can easily defeat most garbage bin latches. I’ve watched from my kitchen window as these masked bandits work together to raid my bins, despite my best efforts to secure them.
Their intelligence is remarkable; they remember successful feeding spots and return night after night. In Springfield neighborhoods, raccoons have learned to wash their food in birdbaths and decorative ponds.
To keep them away, try sprinkling cayenne pepper around garbage areas or installing motion-activated lights. Metal bins with secure lids are your best defense against these determined nighttime raiders.
2. Coyotes: Urban Shadows
Spotting a coyote trotting down a suburban street can be startling, but these adaptable predators are increasingly common throughout Illinois cities. Unlike their rural cousins, urban coyotes have become bolder, sometimes venturing out during daylight hours.
Small pets can be at risk when these opportunistic hunters are around. Last summer, several Champaign neighborhoods reported coyotes lurking near parks and golf courses, drawn by abundant rabbits and rodents.
Make your yard less appealing by removing food sources like pet food and fallen fruit. If you encounter one, make yourself look big and make loud noises—they typically avoid human confrontation.
3. Red Foxes: Elegant Opportunists
With their rust-colored coats and bushy tails, red foxes bring a touch of wilderness to Illinois neighborhoods. These solitary hunters have adapted surprisingly well to urban environments, especially in Chicago’s northern suburbs where green spaces connect to forest preserves.
They’re mostly beneficial, controlling rodent populations that might otherwise invade homes. My neighbor spotted a fox family denning beneath her garden shed last spring, and they eliminated her longtime mole problem within weeks.
Foxes are typically shy and pose little threat to humans. If one has taken up residence nearby, avoid approaching it or its den, especially during spring when they’re raising kits.
4. Opossums: Nature’s Cleanup Crew
Despite their somewhat unsettling appearance with pointed faces and naked tails, opossums are among the most beneficial backyard visitors in Illinois. These misunderstood marsupials consume thousands of ticks annually, helping reduce Lyme disease risks in suburban areas.
They’re nature’s garbage disposers, cleaning up fallen fruit and garden pests. After setting up a wildlife camera in my Peoria backyard, I was amazed to discover opossums visiting nightly, gobbling up slugs that had been devastating my hostas.
Generally docile, opossums prefer to play dead rather than attack when threatened. Simply leave them alone, and they’ll provide free pest control services before moving along to the next yard.
5. White-tailed Deer: Suburban Browsers
The sight of deer gracefully bounding through neighborhood streets has become increasingly common across Illinois cities. Urban development has fragmented their habitat, forcing these adaptable herbivores to navigate human landscapes in search of food.
Gardens in cities like Rockford and Bloomington have become their salad bars. From my experience, they’re particularly fond of hostas, daylilies, and vegetable gardens—I lost my entire tomato crop last year to a family of four that visited at dawn.
Motion-activated sprinklers can help deter them, as can planting deer-resistant species like lavender and sage. Remember that does often have fawns hidden nearby in spring, so give them plenty of space.
6. Eastern Cottontail Rabbits: Garden Nibblers
Those perfectly round holes appearing in your vegetable garden are likely the work of cottontail rabbits, which have flourished in Illinois suburbs. Their ability to reproduce quickly means populations can boom in favorable urban environments with plenty of ornamental shrubs for cover.
Gardens in Naperville and Aurora neighborhoods have become rabbit hotspots. I’ve found that surrounding my garden with chicken wire buried several inches deep is the only reliable deterrent after losing countless lettuce seedlings.
Hawks and foxes help keep rabbit populations in check, so consider this natural balance before taking action against them. Repellents containing predator urine can sometimes discourage rabbits from treating your garden like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
7. Woodchucks: Underground Architects
Also known as groundhogs, these rotund rodents are master diggers that can undermine decks, sheds, and foundations throughout Illinois cities. Their extensive burrow systems—sometimes stretching 15-25 feet long—can cause surprising structural damage to urban properties.
Woodchucks have voracious appetites, consuming up to a pound of vegetation daily. My community garden plot in Springfield was decimated by a particularly determined woodchuck that ignored all conventional deterrents.
Exclusion is your best strategy—bury fencing at least 12 inches deep around gardens and install L-shaped footer wire around structures. For persistent problems, professional wildlife removal services can safely relocate these stubborn diggers.
8. Tree Squirrels: Acrobatic Invaders
Gray and fox squirrels perform impressive aerial feats across Illinois neighborhoods, leaping between trees and power lines with remarkable agility. Unfortunately, this talent extends to finding ways into attics and wall voids, particularly in older Chicago and Evanston homes.
Bird feeders become squirrel magnets regardless of so-called “squirrel-proof” designs. I’ve tried every contraption on the market, but these persistent rodents eventually solve each puzzle—they’re surprisingly resourceful problem-solvers.
Metal flashing around trees can prevent them from climbing to rooflines, while trimming branches that overhang your roof eliminates their aerial highways. Offering corn or squirrel food away from your house might redirect their attention from your bird feeders.
9. Skunks: Fragrant Night Visitors
Few backyard wildlife encounters strike more fear than spotting a skunk’s distinctive white stripe in the darkness. These nocturnal mammals have adapted well to Illinois suburbs, where they dig small holes in lawns searching for grubs and insects.
Contrary to popular belief, skunks don’t spray without provocation. When I encountered one under my deck in Carbondale, I backed away slowly and it simply continued its business without incident. They’re actually beneficial for controlling garden pests.
Secure potential den sites like decks and sheds by installing barriers. If you find one has taken up residence, wait until evening when it leaves to forage, then seal entry points with hardware cloth to prevent its return.