Providing
an artificial food source causes adults to produce large families which the
natural food supply can't support.
Overpopulation leads to starvation and epidemics of disease. Many of these diseases are
dangerous to humans: bubonic plague, salmonella, psittacosis, and rabies, to name a few.
Feeding caused the overpopulation of Norway rats that colonized in Pacific Grove's Lover's
Point Park in recent years. The rats were attracted and sustained by the abundant snacks
left for ground squirrels by tourists. The potential public health hazard prompted the
county environmental health director to order that the city actively enforce its
non-feeding ordinance.
It is
illegal to feed wildlife.
Ventura County animal control ordinance prohibits feeding wild animals except for the use
of bird feeders. The Marine Mammal Protection Act imposes hefty fines for persons who
harass, disturb or interfere with the natural behaviors of marine mammals such as whales,
sea lions, harbor seals, pelicans, etc. - this would include providing food to attract the
animals or encourage domesticity. It is also illegal to possess any native wildlife
without a permit: if you find an injured animal, you should call a licensed rehabilitator in your area immediately.
Wild
animals have specialized diets and can die from the wrong foods.
Many people feed wildlife as a form of entertainment; but bread, popcorn, French fries and
picnic leftovers can cause disease, death, mouth injuries and throat obstructions in
animals adapted to eat other foods.
Feeding the wrong diet to a baby animal even for a day or two can
permanently damage developing muscles, bones and tissues, making survival impossible. Even
feeding supposedly “healthy” food is harmful because it alters the animal's
foraging patterns and can cause overpopulation which ultimately leads to starvation.
Feeding
causes wildlife to lose their natural fear of humans.
These animals become easy targets for people who do not respect wildlife and would hurt
them intentionally. Also, there are many people who are afraid of wildlife and may injure
an animal in an attempt to defend themselves against a mistaken “attack.”
You
always risk injury when you do not keep a respectful distance from wild animals who may
misinterpret your actions.
Wild animals defend themselves with teeth, beaks, claws, talons, spines, venom, and toxins
to name a few adaptions. There is no guarantee that a wild animal knows where the food
stops and your fingers begin. Sadly, it is usually the animal which loses when the person
feeding complains of being “attacked.” For some reason, many people who would
never consider petting a stray dog will readily approach a wild animal.
Providing
food in residential areas often leads to property damage and unwelcome wild
“houseguests.”
Wildlife Care of Ventura County receives hundreds of calls each year from
people complaining of damage and disruption to their homes and landscaping from deer,
raccoons and other wildlife. Often this is because someone is attracting the animal with
food either on purpose or inadvertently by leaving out pet food or not securing garbage.
Feeding
changes behavior patterns, sometimes with catastrophic results.
Such was the case in 1988 when vendors in Monterey were selling fish to feed to the brown
pelicans and sea lions. As a result, many of the birds did not migrate and the reduced
winter food supply couldn't support them. The Monterey Wildlife Center
received hundreds of pelicans sick from erysphelatrix, a disease the birds contracted from
eating the spoiled fish they learned to scavenge from the wharf garbage bins. The starving
pelicans also were snatching at people's food with their sharp beaks.
Feeding
causes injuries and harmful interactions between wildlife species.
For instance, when fishing operations discard leftover offal into the ocean after fish
cleaning, it forces confrontations between species who otherwise would not interact.
Suddenly, pelicans, who dive for fish near the surface of the water, and harbor seals, who
forage for food in the water column and near the ocean floor, are forced to compete for
food in the same area, causing injuries which otherwise would not occur. Also, while many marine mammals and birds eat whole fish,
the skin and bones of fish by itself is not easily digestible, has little caloric value,
and can cause choking and injuries. Fish bones can be very sharp, and Wildlife Care
volunteers have had
to remove many fish skeletons from the delicate pouches and throats of pelicans whose
mouths are adapted to swallow whole fish, not crunch bones. Punctures and lacerations are
easily infected, causing a slow death when animals cannot forage or swallow.