8. The Wildlife of Castle Clinton and Battery Park

Although Lower Manhattan is not typically the place you’d expect to find wildlife, Castle Clinton and the surrounding Battery Park area is home to a some surprising species. Alongside brown rats and grey squirrels, the critters you typically associate with the city, you can spot red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, and color kestrels. Most notably, the park was once home to Zelda, a wild turkey that lived there from 2003 to around 2014. At the time, she was believed to be the only wild turkey in Manhattan.

Named after Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, she quickly became a beloved fixture at the park, garnering a loyal fan base over the years. Sadly, however, it was announced that Zelda had been found dead in October 2014, following an automobile collision down South Street, near Pier 11.