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Ten Reasons Not To Feed
Wildlife:
1. Most wildlife becomes tame and later will be aggressive
in search of food. This can result in injuries or death to people.
2. Wildlife carries diseases that can be transferred to
humans such as rabies and the plague.
3. Park managers must interfere when tame animals become
aggressive in search of food. If education, citations, aversion
techniques and attempts to trap and relocate the animal fail -
the animal will have to be destroyed for visitor safety.
4. Wildlife will frequent roadsides. They may then be
killed by passing vehicles.
5. Deer have unique digestive systems. They must eat enough
specific plant proteins to stimulate the growth of vital intestinal
bacteria. Human food does not produce these organisms, and without
them, members of the deer family cannot process food. They may
starve to death on a full stomach.
6. The jay family population rises when fed human food.
This results in more predation on songbird eggs and thus the songbird
population decreases.
7. Human food may cause health problems and chemical imbalances
in wildlife. Ill health is the result of eating human food and
will make the animals less likely to survive the winter months.
8. Mountain lions, bears and coyotes may be lured out
of the interior of the National Parks to the campgrounds, picnic
areas and even housing areas in town by food placed outside for
other animals, birds and pets.
9. Many animals will stop foraging for wild foods and
become dependent on human handouts. If they fail to stash seeds,
they will no longer be planting future generations of trees and
bushes.
10. Wildlife will no longer be wild!!!
Click on these tips for more information:
- Information provided by the Colorado Division
of Wildlife, with additional information from Urban Wildlife Rescue,
Inc.
Animal
Control Home | Colorado
Div. of Wildlife
Urban
Wildlife Rescue | Table
Mountain Animal Shelter
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