This week on “Ira's Everything Bagel,” Ira welcomes award-winning writer and social epidemiologist Dan Werb, author of Our Wild Familiars: How Animals Are Adapting to Cities and Reshaping the Natural World, for a captivating conversation about the surprising ways wildlife has learned to thrive alongside us.
Dan explains what first sparked his fascination with urban wildlife and why so many people have become disconnected from nature—even as the natural world surrounds them every day. He discusses how the pandemic changed our relationship with the outdoors and offers practical insights into reconnecting with the ecosystems we often overlook.
The conversation explores the remarkable world of synanthropes—animals that have adapted to living with humans—including pigeons, raccoons, bats, rats, and even coyotes. Dan shares how he researched the book through interviews, extensive fieldwork, and an extraordinary review of 599 peer-reviewed scientific studies, revealing how bold, adaptable species are leading a new wave of urban evolution.
Ira and Dan also discuss why cities are becoming biodiversity hotspots, how animals learn from one another, why fear of new environments diminishes in urban settings, and what these resilient creatures can teach us about adaptation, community, and our own place within nature.
If you've ever wondered who's really sharing your neighborhood, this fascinating episode will forever change the way you see the city around you.
ABOUT DAN:
Dan Werb, PhD, is an award-winning writer and social epidemiologist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, Salon, and other outlets. He holds faculty appointments at the University of California San Diego and the University of Toronto. His previous books include The Invisible Siege: The Rise of Coronaviruses and the Search for a Cure (2022).
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