Does feeding wildlife give you a sense of serenity? Do you find it entertaining? If you answered yes, you are among the millions of people around the world who enjoy feeding wildlife. But did you know that while you are reaping the benefits of the experience, the animal you feed may be hurt in the process? Wild animal control experts around the world animals are overwhelmed by the number of animals they’ve seen suffer because people are unaware of the harm their actions cause.

Leaving out garbage is the number one source of food for most wildlife.

Inappropriate Food Threatens Animal Health

You may get the animals hooked on commercial food. This makes survival less likely in the natural setting.  Some foods are simply unhealthy and put the health of the animal at risk. In some cases foods given to wild animals by people actually, lead to their demise. Feeding geese and ducks bread is a prime example of this. This man-made food fills the animals’ stomachs quickly and reduces their consumption of healthy foods. This, in turn, leads to malnourishment, which presents as deformities in the young animals.

When wild animals are fed frequently, their hunting and foraging skills are weakened as they lose practice. If they end up in a situation where these skills are needed, their odds of survival are lowered because of this.

People who feed animals also put themselves and others at risk. Whether it is your home, workplace or campsite, if you feed animals in the environment they will invade the space, often in great numbers and bring a host of diseases. Additionally feeding animals in one location frequently (a habit of most people who feed wild animals) causes them to gather in the space increases the likelihood of disease transmission.  Another reason feeding animals is detrimental to their health is that often the animals are attracted to the food and in travelling towards it (especially over busy thoroughfares) get hurt.

Always clean up after pets and never leave out food.

Resisting the Temptation to Feed Animals

It can be very tempting to feed wildlife. Most people see squirrels and birds in their yard as an opportunity to put out food to attract more of them. However, this food also has unwelcome consequences. It is possible for the food remnants to attract other wildlife, possibly putting you, your family or your pets at risk.

Furthermore, you may not be familiar with the wildlife animals proper diet. Having food set out could cause wildlife to become seriously ill. You don’t not want to have a sick or injured animal on your property as a result of feeding it the wrong food.

If you are currently experiencing issues with unwanted wildlife on your property, it is best to call experts in the wild animal control industry. For the absolute safest and effective solution, contact the wildlife experts at Skedaddle Humane Animal Control Services. Our technicians are highly qualified to remove the animals from your home or property, and protect it from future invasions.