More species are figuring out how to cross city streets without getting flattened—and humans are barely noticing.
There are raccoons doing things now that drivers aren’t even doing right. Bears are pausing at blinking lights. Coyotes are walking between painted lines like it’s part of a script. Wild animals are adapting to human infrastructure in ways that feel like satire, but they’re dead serious about survival. This isn’t just coincidence. In a world paved over with concrete and impatience, some animals are straight up learning traffic rules better than the tourists downtown. And they’re teaching each other how to do it.
Coyotes in Chicago have been filmed walking between the painted lines.
Urban coyotes are practically urban legends, except they’re real and they have a shocking amount of street sense. In some Chicago neighborhoods, people have spotted coyotes walking within actual crosswalks, not darting but strolling. They’ll pace the sidewalk, glance around, then trot forward right where the humans do. Sometimes they cross in pairs. They’re not just surviving in the city. They’re figuring out how to coexist in a way that doesn’t involve panicking every time they see headlights. The weird part is, they’re often completely ignored by pedestrians like they belong there. And maybe they kind of do.
Bears in British Columbia are starting to learn traffic patterns.
As described by The Wildlife Society, bears around Canmore and Revelstoke have developed a habit of approaching designated crossing corridors that were meant for humans. Some have even been observed hesitating until traffic stops before crossing. Wildlife cameras set up in these areas caught them repeatedly using the same pedestrian trails, especially near overpasses and tunnels. In one case, a mother bear and her cubs followed a group of hikers right across a marked pedestrian bridge like it was business as usual. There’s growing evidence they might even be relying on auditory cues like engine pauses and braking.
Japanese macaques have been caught patiently waiting at crosswalk signals.
Not all monkeys are here for chaos. In Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park, macaques have been seen observing pedestrian signals and crossing only when it’s green. According to a 2022 report by Kyoto University researchers, some individuals consistently use the exact same crossing paths as human pedestrians. What’s weirder is how calm they are about it. These aren’t panicked dashes. These are thoughtful, cautious steps like someone taught them to do it in preschool. Researchers suspect they may have learned by copying people they see daily, possibly even recognizing the rhythm of human behavior around intersections.
Elk in Banff seem to understand when the cars will stop.
Stated by Parks Canada, elk in Banff National Park have been observed gathering near crosswalk-adjacent areas, often waiting until stoplights change or traffic naturally slows. While these crossings weren’t designed with animals in mind, the elk seem to have figured out that bunched-up cars and red lights equal a safer window. What’s wild is how often they return to the same locations, which suggests they remember them. Some even nudge their calves into motion like a parent reminding a toddler that now’s the time to go. It’s not always perfect, but it’s happening often enough to raise eyebrows.
Deer in suburban Colorado neighborhoods are acting like regular morning commuters.
In towns like Boulder and Fort Collins, local residents have reported deer regularly using the same intersections, at the same times, every day. It’s not random. These animals are adapting their daily patterns to match lulls in morning and evening traffic, almost like they’re syncing up with human routines. They’ll emerge from greenbelts, trot calmly to the edge of the road, and cross right at the crosswalks. People have even caught them pausing like they’re scanning for a traffic break. Some locals treat them like neighborhood regulars, and at this point, the deer are behaving more predictably than some cyclists.
Kangaroos in parts of Australia are using underpasses and walkways better than tourists.
Kangaroos in New South Wales and Victoria have been spotted using pedestrian tunnels and even marked crossings in places where the paths run between forested patches and open fields. What’s weird is that many of these crossings weren’t designed with kangaroos in mind, yet they’re showing up there anyway. They’ll loiter near signs and sometimes hang out around the edge of parking lots until it’s safe to hop across. Residents have noticed patterns, too—same individuals, same times of day. They’re not just avoiding roads. They’re finding the quietest, most logical ways to move through towns without getting hit.
Wild turkeys have learned to wait for kids to cross first.
There’s a group of wild turkeys in parts of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania that have developed a bizarrely polite habit. Locals have documented them waiting on the edges of school crosswalks until the clusters of children have finished crossing, then they make their move. The turkeys don’t charge across or break formation. They walk straight through the crosswalk, like little feathered crossing guards who know the drill. Some even seem to follow traffic lights. It could be coincidence, but it’s happening so consistently in certain neighborhoods that people now expect it. They’re probably just avoiding attention, but the timing is suspiciously precise.
Street-smart opossums in Florida are crossing at painted lines without the panic.
Opossums usually get the short end of the roadkill narrative, but in several Florida suburbs, a different trend is starting to show up. Instead of the freeze-or-die reaction they’re known for, some opossums are seen calmly crossing at marked lines, usually during late-night hours when traffic dies down. What’s especially interesting is that some appear to follow paved sidewalk paths before arriving at the road. It’s like they’ve learned the road’s safest edges through trial and error or memory. It’s not all opossums doing this, but the ones who are have ditched the panic and figured out how to walk it out.