Although some species are able to eat essentially anything under the sun, does not mean they will thrive doing so.
Photo: Mister Peacock eating bread, chips and popcorn the neighbors so "Kindly" left out for him. UGH!
As you know, if you read my intro post, there is a peacock that showed up in my neighborhood recently. One of the neighbors started putting bread, chips, and crackers out in the gutter for him. All I can do is cringe at the sight. That poor bird's digestive system is taking a beating. Additionally the excess food laying out has attracted seagulls and who knows what other animals that don't belong. These actions inspired me to write a post about NOT feeding Wild Animals. If you have a pet, Feed it. If you are a licensed rehabilitation facility, then you already know how to properly feed wild animals the correct diet. That is great. However, Joe Smoe next door, sees a poor helpless animal and decides to feed it. Bad Idea. I know many people have good intentions feeding animals, but in most cases feeding human food can actually cause more harm than good.
Animals should not eat human made/processed food ( I can't stress this enough). Much of the stuff Americans eat is bad; in fact so bad that roughly 33% of adults are obese in the US and half are considered overweight (US Department of Health and Human Services), so imagine what it does to wildlife. Yes, if you toss bread onto a pond, ducks and geese will flock to you like flies to poop. We think it tastes good, and so do they. They will fight for a piece as if their life depends on it. Reality check. Their life depends on not relying on humans to feed them. Birds who consume large amounts of bread or bread-like food sources become nutrient deficient. This causes a serious disease in aquatic birds known as Angel Wing in which the last joint on the wing becomes crooked and the feathers tilt upwards. This disables the bird for life; making it impossible to fly. Imagine the lifespan of a bird who cannot fly away from predators. Miss Whiskers, a feral cat, now has ample opportunities for an easy meal and extra energy to breed. Resulting in more feral cats (which are BAD, and a topic of their own).
Feeding wildlife can not only harm them, but can be dangerous for you too. Wildlife is wild. Just because that squirrel looks cute, does not mean he is friendly. He may become aggressive and bite you. Ever had to get Rabies shots because you did something that had a high risk of contraction (i.e. getting bit by a wild animal)? That isn't a scenario you should put yourself in.
Long story short. Feeding that duck, deer, squirrel, bear cub,or any animal is not the right thing to do. Those animals can and will find food on their own. If they are incapable then mother nature will take its course as it is suppose to. Human foods are harmful and have negative impacts on wildlife (just like they do on humans) that so many people are unaware of. So if you want to help that sweet animal, Do not feed it! Take your kids out for ice cream instead. If you really have a powerful yearning to feed an animal then get a pet or go to the zoo. Many zoos, aquariums and aviaries offer the opportunity to feed their specially formulated food to the birds, fish, or ungulates (these pellets are different for each species and different zoos will have different opportunities to feed different animals).
Photo Credit: Whipsnade Zoo
Thanks for reading and please share this info with others, especially those you know who think they are helping wildlife by feeding them.
I love this post! I always want to feed them because it's just so tempting, They look so cute! But I completely see where you are getting at! We shouldn't have the animals rely on us for food.
My wife is the same way, just loves animals so much that she always wants to help. She says the same thing you did "They look so cute!" :) It's always best for nature to do it's own thing though.
Thank you! I know how incredibly tempting it is. Especially when you have little kids that love animals.
Great blog! UPVOTED and followed.
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Very good post my friend, upvote. Here is a post for you to enjoy a little sudden trip. regards..
Https://steemit.com/life/@jorlenbolivar/a-small-journey-from-your-machine-into-the-universe-open-this-post-without-compromise-you-will-not-lose-anything
Good
I like my friend
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humans think they own the earth. We think the creature's here are for our entertainment. We have no respect for Gaia and her plan. I just recently heard about gmo eucalyptus trees that are going to be pushed forward by the usda. UGH. I can only imagine what that will do to wildlife.
Oh man, sorry I didn't respond sooner. Your comment just barely showed up for some reason. .. you're right, the vast majority use and abuse our natural resources... I do not know what the impacts of such a gmo tree will do to its natural competitors. Hopefully they will not be lost! Although, I have mixed feelings about GMO's. I actually wrote a paper on it a long while back. In some cases GMO's can be horrible for wildlife,but there are many instances where they have neutral effects and some cases where they are actually beneficial to wildlife species.
really, I would be interested in seeing a link that proves that they are beneficial. I can't imagine how that could be.
I tagged you in my post with the info on GMOs
you don't ahve to go to that much trouble - just a link that PROVES that GMOs are HELPFUL to wildlife - I cannot imagine how this is TRUE - since humans cannot possibly know how to be helpful to a complex ecosystem - humans only care about what humans care about: their immediate personal gain.
I will have to pull that off my old computer but I can post my whole paper (with all references at the end) give me a few days cause I'm currently not at home!