Squirrels and birds that live off food people drop in the parks are not domesticated, they are still wild animals.
In times of less food, mice and rats will readily eat each other. Other animals like fox and coyotes also swap quickly from eating human food to hunting. Birds readily fly to new locations.
A few years back, there was an interesting episode of -I think Nature - that featured a segment on skunks. Researchers discovered that the skunks roamed far wider than anyone thought. One thing about skunks is that they are one of the species that live, I'm not sure what to call it, but they straddle different habitats. It was thought previously, some lived in woods, some lived in more open spaces, but really individuals move around multiple burrows. The skunks in the study lived both on the beach and in the woods. They had like 4 or 5 'dens,' they used and traveled over a mile each day to forage. (or maybe more? I don't recall the exact number.) So they could easily scour the beach at night, but retreat to the woods the next day.
Ducks and other birds also move around quite a bit every day. They can eat bread some of the time, but not all of the time. They can't lay eggs unless they eat enough protein, like insects and other inverts.
I think most wildlife only rely on human trash for a portion of their diet. Those that rely more exclusively on humans probably took a hit, like the tiny mites that feed off dead skin.
Ooh, I've also seen some interesting documentaries on the Chernobyl area that was abandoned. An amazing array of wildlife took over very quickly, and is thriving there. Researchers found most wildlife fared better when humans left the region. According to one article I found, "While humans are strictly prohibited from living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, many other species have settled there. Brown bears, wolves,
lynx,
bison, deer,
moose, beavers, foxes,
badgers, wild boar,
raccoon dogs, and more than 200 species of birds have formed their own ecosystem within the Chernobyl disaster area."
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/586059/chernobyl-animal-facts But that's just one website. What's crazy too is just how rapidly things like parking lots and playgrounds deteriorate. When plants aren't kept in check by humans, they take over rather quickly.
There were also many studies done after Mt. Saint Helens erupted. Scientists thought it would take decades for life to return, but it happened quickly. Many fish and aquatic animals survived. In one nearby lake, most fish were wiped out, but once the ash settled, the fish that have been able to breed are thriving. Like they are super healthy and grow quickly.
If the two examples above are any indication, I suspect WDW employees actually had to keep critters from moving IN while people were away.
www.theguardian.com
