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Keep yourself and your pets safe by not feeding wildlife

May 18, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Many people enjoy viewing and interacting with wildlife, especially in rural areas; however, feeding wildlife near your home may do more harm than good.

Some municipalities have by-laws prohibiting feeding wildlife, and there is a good reason behind this.

While you may enjoy seeing some wildlife come onto your property, feeding them removes them from the natural boundaries they rely on to survive.

Animals can become dependent on artificial food sources. After being around your home, they can lose their natural fear of humans and pets, resulting in a situation where they are more prone to conflict.

Artificial feed is not healthy for wildlife. They have a natural diet that is appropriate for them.

Once other animals realize you are putting food out every night, you may have a situation where animals will start gathering in large numbers, expecting to be fed. This can result in the spread of parasites and disease as well as cause the destruction of natural habitats.

It also means you are drawing animals to areas near roads, increasing their risk of being hit by vehicles.

While you may enjoy seeing some animals on your property, you may attract wildlife you don’t want to see by putting out feed. Animals can learn to associate humans with food, which can become a problem for your neighbours, who probably don’t want coyotes or similar predators on their property.

Wildlife are called ‘wild animals’ for a reason. To keep them wild, you shouldn’t put out food to attract wild animals to your property. You should never try to approach or touch wild animals.

To avoid having your own pets harmed, you should never feed your pets outdoors or allow them to roam freely around your property.

This increases the possibility that they will interact with a wild animal looking for food and poses a risk to your pet.

The best way to appreciate wildlife is to view them from a distance and let them live a natural life.

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