Yes it was. Remember that we're animals and part of nature, too (even if that might offend some particularly religious folk). A biosphere in relative equilibrium doesn't necessitate the absence of man.

I have bats, barn owls, half a dozen species of song birds, hedgehogs, several variants of mice and the occasional band of racoons (invasive species over here) living on my property. None of these are pets or domesticated in any way. They simply benefit from - and even rely on - the activities of me and my neighbours (I live in a rural community, my neighbours are farmers and I keep livestock myself).

There're just as "wild" as the foxes, storks, deer, cranes, herons, boars, wolves, and all the other critters that live in the area. You'd be hard pressed to actually find animals (and some plants for that matter) that aren't affected by or (sometimes indirectly) depend on human activity in most countries. Some benefit and thrive (like the examples from Japan), others struggle.