[sandworm101]

A better metric imho would be time to a wild animal. I'd go with distance to a wild bear, or anything else that could threaten a human. That is where wilderness starts imho. For London, that measurement is likely hundreds of miles. In much of north america, it is probably be less than one. I've been to the English countryside. It is more city park than open country.

[msrenee]

The distance from my home to a mountain lion has been documented at under a mile in the last year. They are officially spotted within a few miles every couple years, but I'm quite confident they're almost always there and just usually better at hiding. I would not consider my location in the middle of suburban sprawl to be anything like wilderness. I'd say you're looking at a 6 hour trip minimum from my location to anything anyone could argue as being wilderness.

If we're going as simple as time to a wild animal, we've had fox in the front yard and I see turkey and deer within a couple of blocks of my place often enough that I wonder if they don't sometimes order at the fast food drive thrus on either end of the neighborhood. I live as far from a cornfield as I ever have right now and that doesn't seem to phase the wildlife.

Back to the article though, they seem to be measuring the distance from town to rural surroundings. At no point do they mention wilderness, rugged landscape, or any kind of danger from the environment. They're measuring to the nearest bit of pasture. Things that can eat you don't factor into it.

[wmanley]

Richmond park has Adders and Deer, both of which have the potential to kill you - but in practice would be very unlikely to. To get to the nearest wild wolf you'd probably have to look as far as the Ardennes in Belgium, which is roughly 400km away. For bears you'd probably be looking at 1000km or so in the Pyrenees on the French/Spanish border.

[nucleardog]

Meanwhile, in Canada, I lived in a metro area of 2.5m people--in a nice little quiet neighbourhood--where the 500 acre park down the block had signs warning people to keep an eye out for bears.

[themaninthedark]

We had a wild bear with cubs go into the dumpster for food at our university campus, this is North America of course.

I don't know London at all but I would hazard that you have foxes and other wild animals living in the city, just well hidden. We have coyotes that have taken up residence in many American cities.

[txs]

Foxes are everywhere in London, including the City, and are a common sight.

[bryanlarsen]

I've had bears in the ravine in my back yard but I don't think that really counts, it's still urban.

But ~200 bears do live in Gatineau Park, a 140 square mile piece of fairly untouched nature that starts 5 miles from downtown Ottawa, Canada.