Decades ago, Fairmount Cemetery was advertised as "a silent city of peace." But if you listen closely now, you might hear the sounds of animals.
Deer roam the cemetery grounds, eating the petunias. Rabbits and squirrels hop about, as migratory birds fly overhead.
Coyotes play between gravestones, occasionally sending chills down visitors' spines. The nonprofit cemetery has had to educate visitors about the importance of keeping dogs on leash, lest the coyotes lure them away to devour them.
On a recent tour of the historic cemetery, visitors even watched a deer give birth to a fawn.
Fairmount also has dedicated an undeveloped plot of land to native plants, and the organization has even ordered bugs to eat invasive species that encroach. Through those efforts, and by nature of the critters that call it home, the cemetery has secured certification as a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.
"The cemetery, it's important for the wildlife," said Kendra Briggs, the CEO of the nonprofit cemetery. "With all the building going on around, they're running out of places to go."
Over her decades working at Fairmount -- first as a funeral director, then in management and most recently as the head of the operation -- her passion and empathy for wildlife and native species has grown. She's seen deer killed by drivers on bordering Alameda Ave. and caught in the cemetery's fence.
"It recognizes our effort to create our entire property as a garden that supports the local wildlife," Briggs said. "We've always been known for the wildlife in the city, in our area. The recognition is important so that our community is aware that we are making our best efforts to protect the wildlife."
Cars and fences aren't the only hazards for deer.
"We get some naughty people, some kids who like to harass the deer," Briggs said. "We had to call the police on them."
Naughty people have been busier than beavers at Fairmount Cemetery.
There are the usual late-night trespassers, people wandering into the off-limits and undeveloped part of the cemetery, and the occasional vandals.
"The back area is private property, and people will be ticketed as trespassing," Briggs said.
Thieves have smashed car windows and ripped off purses and other belongings. A mourner's car was stolen during a funeral.
The cemetery has had to hire extra groundkeeper support during events to ensure people's property stays safe.
"We're open from sunrise to sunset," Briggs said. "Gates automatically close. We do have police officers here in the evening for security."
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Soon, living animals won't be the only ones to call Fairmount home.
Fairmount Family Pet Loss Care is beginning to offer individual, "boutique" pet cremation services, Briggs said.
There's a good chance there will be space to bury pets on the grounds, too.
"We're going to treat the pets that come to us as people," Briggs said. "We'll only do individual cremations."
Caring for animals -- living and dead -- has become a priority.
And Briggs has a slogan in the works. "Fairmount Family Pet Loss Care: Now we take care of your entire family."
