Tehran, our hometown, makes us desperately hopeless with its grey sky and dry lands. Pollution and an overflowing population bring a dull life to people. But we are not the only inhabitants suffering from our unfriendly city. To lift the unbearable heaviness of city life and add more adventure to our wearisome routines, we decided to find our fellow citizens; urban animals. The capital would have a more peaceful corner worth discovering.

We started night walks and early morning strolls to find them. Chasing stray dogs and cats wasn't much complicated. Soon after, we realized it takes patience and persistence to find other species. Birds of prey, wild rabbits, and foxes live nearby, but we usually overlook our untamed neighbors.

As the city becomes more crowded and chaotic, animals move to the outskirts with a small intact land. They live an invisible life to survive. They mysteriously move like ghosts and hide behind trees. The light-footed creatures knew how to deceive us, and gradually we learned how to track them. We kept on our urban excursion day after day, and with each walk, we moved one step closer. It was a practice teaching us more about our city and its marginalized dweller.

“Footprint” is a collaboration work by Negar Yaghmaian and Hamed Farhangi.