Wildlife in M6N and M4J: 2025 311 Data Shows Animals Stay Active All Year

Wildlife in Two Toronto Neighbourhoods Don’t Hibernate: Snow or No Snow

Toronto’s urban wildlife doesn’t take a winter vacation—especially in two neighbourhoods that stand out in a 2025 analysis of 311 Toronto Customer Initiated Service Requests. Whether the ground is covered in snow or warming up for spring, animal activity in M6N and M4J continues year‑round. Coyotes, foxes, skunks, deer, and raccoons remain active in both FSAs, adapting easily to changing weather and the rhythms of city life.

Residents in the M4J — East York (Central-East Toronto) FSA contacted 311 Toronto 287 times between November and March—an average of 57 calls per month—to report animal and wildlife issues. These calls covered everything from coyote sightings to concerns about dogs, raccoons, deer, and skunks. It’s worth noting that roughly two-thirds of these calls typically involve dead or injured wildlife, a pattern consistent across the city.

But once the snow melts, wildlife activity in M4J increases significantly. Between April and October 2025, residents made 512 calls—about 73 per month—to the 311 Toronto Animal Services Division. This seasonal jump mirrors trends across the city.

Warm Weather = More Wildlife Activity Across Toronto

Toronto has more than 20 FSAs—many concentrated in the city’s west end—where warmer weather consistently leads to increased wildlife-related calls. As temperatures rise, so does the pace of urban life: more road and building construction, more outdoor events, more visitors, and more traffic congestion. All of this contributes to higher interaction between people, vehicles, and wildlife.

In fact, wildlife and animal issues at busy City of Toronto intersections are three times higher when the snow leaves the ground. Toronto’s “urban jungle” becomes even busier, and animals adapt by moving, foraging, and crossing roads more frequently.

M6N and M4J: Year-Round Wildlife Hotspots

Both M6N and M4J show that wildlife doesn’t hibernate in Toronto. These neighbourhoods see steady winter activity and a noticeable surge in the warmer months. From snow-covered ravines to sunlit sidewalks, animals in these FSAs remain active, visible, and deeply intertwined with the city’s daily life.

Related Posts

• Toronto’s West-End Wildlife Trends: What 311 Data Reveals
• Why Animal Activity Spikes When the Snow Melts
• Understanding 311 Toronto’s Animal Services Data

For more insights, explore our ongoing analysis of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, wildlife patterns, and the data that shapes how the city responds.

Row Labels	M4J	M6N	Grand Total
Snow Months	2303	2427	4730
2011	6	4	10
Normal	6	4	10
2012	80	81	161
High	57	81	138
Normal	23		23
2013	116	174	290
High	73	113	186
Normal	43	61	104
2014	90	143	233
High		86	86
Normal	90	57	147
2015	155	197	352
High	94	180	274
Normal	61	17	78
2016	132	237	369
High	36	216	252
Normal	96	21	117
2017	136	187	323
High	43	132	175
Normal	93	55	148
2018	240	146	386
High	183	38	221
Normal	57	108	165
2019	130	150	280
High		87	87
Normal	130	63	193
2020	75	81	156
High		39	39
Normal	75	42	117
2021	116	124	240
High	84		84
High Outlier		78	78
Normal	32	46	78
2022	213	164	377
High	54	118	172
High Outlier	112		112
Normal	47	46	93
2023	151	288	439
High	72	166	238
High Outlier		95	95
Normal	79	27	106
2024	249	239	488
High	125	239	364
High Outlier	84		84
Normal	40		40
2025	414	212	626
High	99	76	175
High Outlier	287	83	370
Normal	28	53	81
Non Snow Months	5940	5694	11634
2012	60	43	103
High	52	36	88
Normal	8	7	15
2013	321	398	719
High	291	398	689
Normal	30		30
2014	347	390	737
High	347	311	658
High Outlier		79	79
2015	538	499	1037
High	233	170	403
High Outlier	305	329	634
2016	361	425	786
High	361	346	707
High Outlier		79	79
2017	337	451	788
High	337	451	788
2018	411	371	782
High	411	371	782
2019	394	410	804
High	311	410	721
High Outlier	83		83
2020	196	209	405
High	171	177	348
Normal	25	32	57
2021	370	371	741
High	370	371	741
2022	533	469	1002
High	256	287	543
High Outlier	247	182	429
Normal	30		30
2023	416	524	940
High	259	239	498
High Outlier	157	285	442
2024	1017	544	1561
High	37	196	233
High Outlier	980	348	1328
2025	639	590	1229
High	127	196	323
High Outlier	512	394	906
Grand Total	8243	8121	16364