OF INVADERS AND RESIDENTS

“When the human territory is threatened with invasion, the resident animal enjoys the same home-field advantage demonstrated by sparrows and other territorial species. Thus, even a fairly weak human often can prevail on its own turf. Humans also exhibit the same hierarchy of defensive behaviors shared by many animals when the territory is invaded by a more powerful competitor. In spite of the home-field advantage, the first choice is usually to flee. But when a human is cornered, he’ll opt to hide, then threaten, then attack, as the invader closes in.”

Hannah Holmes, The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself. (Random House, New York, 2008.)