Feeding wildlife can create "problem" animals
Wildlife does not try to maliciously annoy people! In many cases, people have turned wild animals into "delinquents" and created problem animals by providing them with easy food. Putting bird feeders out for songbirds rarely causes conflicts with humans (though feeders should be cleaned regularly to prevent the spread of diseases), but feeding mammals can bring in what many people consider undesirable species, such as raccoons and bears. Once these animals associate people with food they may look for food from any human, which means that even if you are tolerant of these animals, they may meet a sad end when they approach a person who is not tolerant of their presence. Here are a few tips: |
Giving raccoons food is an invitation for them to come back. Photo courtesy of Nationwide Wildlife Removal.
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Pets and wildlife don't always mix
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Pet cat killing a native chickadee. Photo courtesy of
Missouri River Bird Observatory.
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Find solutions to keep wild animals out of your house
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