If you’re reading this blog you probably enjoy watching wildlife. There is a thrill that comes with seeing a wild animal sharing space with you. However, in my time researching urban wildlife I’ve come across dozens of people who seem to think that urban wildlife need humans to survive. In his book, The Global Pigeon, sociologist Colin Jerolmack writes
“..biologists who studied pigeon feeding in Madrid and Basel described regular feeders as ‘the lonely, old, disabled’ — those not accepted in general…I came to see how easily secured associations that these [feeding] episodes afforded could be a powerful lure for those who were generally shunned by people on the sidewalks…Pigeons needed them.”
However, this “need to feed” is a mistake made often by those without a deep understanding of wildlife — those whose desire to care for wildlife actually ends up harming the wildlife in the long run. Human provisioning of food for wildlife leads to potential human-wildlife conflicts, increased aggression among wildlife, and increased disease prevalence, all of which can cause harm to both humans and wildlife (read more about this here, here, and here).
Recently, wildlife feeding has gotten out of control in my neighborhood park with people leaving out canned food that is subsequently consumed by raccoons, geese, and feral cats. So how do we enjoy wildlife, while still caring and protecting them? Don’t feed the wildlife. Enjoy the quick glimpse that you may get of a raccoon as it forages in the brush or the geese as they forage in the marsh. Let them be and they will continue to occupy cities
Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, let Lindsay know or Tweet at us and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!
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