The city calls residents to report sightings of foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, squirrels, rats and hedgehogs, of which, except for the squirrel, sightings were also collected 10 years ago with a map survey. This time, the survey also includes squirrels.
“Squirrels are easy to spot and, at times, abundant mammals. However, the Finnish squirrel population has declined and suffered some poor spruce seed years, which also affects the nutrition of urban squirrels. We are interested in the current situation of Helsinki’s signature animal,” says Raimo Pakarinen, Environment Inspector at the City of Helsinki Environmental Services.
The number of sightings does not directly reflect the abundance of the mammalian species. Still, the survey provides reliable information on their distribution and degree of urbanisation. All the surveyed species have adapted to urban life. However, there are still differences in the level they are accustomed to the presence of people and other disturbances.
Please use the easy-to-use online form available at laji.fi(Link leads to external service) to report your sightings. The main information to be reported includes the species and the place and date of the sighting. You can also submit a picture with the sighting. Sightings can be submitted until 30 October 2023.
Instructions for submitting sightings(Link leads to external service)