Sigh. In the almost eight years since the EcoFlorida Web site has been up, I’ve gotten so many e-mails from folks with “wildlife problems” that I’ve lost count. Most, but not all, of the problems are because people started feeding the wildlife. Then the wildlife became more assertive in asking for their handout, and the people didn’t think feeding the animals was cute anymore.
That’s also the gist of this Orlando Sentinel article about how, as people build housing developments and move farther into previously wild territory, they feed the wildlife around them and end up with problems like property damage. In addition to the story, there are some good links to follow here, including what to do if a sandhill crane ruins your property, what is and isn’t against the law when it comes to feeding wildlife, and some stats.
Basically, if you love wildlife, it’s best to just let them be wild.
paintingartist said,
August 13, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
Very true. It is certainly best to let an animal continue to function normally which is not relying on humans for its provisions. Nice blog.
Lisa P said,
August 14, 2007 @ 10:09 pm
It also helps if the media and others remind folks that wildlife is wild. They are not your pet, cute cuddly “friends”, but animals that respond on instinct. We don’t feed wildlife, we live on the edge of the Ocala National Forest. We understand that wild animals are wild animals; not our pets to lure into our yards.
We understand that by desensitizing wildlife to humans and human activity, we could potentially be condemning them to death; for the very reasons stated above, property damage or even an attack on someone.
If the media and “animal people” would remind folks that yes, these are wild animals and not a “pet” that lives outside, we might be able to get the message across a little better.