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Feeding the Wild Animals Page 1 of 2! <br /> A A A A A <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r <br /> . , <br /> Upon entering Che gate at Idartstene Ponlte, there is a sign, Please do not Feed the wild anneals". ° W ~y'?" ou as <br /> "Thee are so tame and if I hold ouC my hand they corr~e and eat from it. 1 just love Feeding than". Wcfl, it's time to Ict <br /> ~rou lauaw ~a-hy that sign is there; and to ~~~oint ouC thaC feeding the wild turimals is a ft»'m of animal cruelty. rind, yes. ii'~ <br /> you feed them you are loving Priem to an early death. <br /> l..ct me start ~-ith the deer. The normal diet For the deer is leaves, some g~ asses, wild berries end wild fruit. Their <br /> digestive enzymes and bacteria are designed to cope with these foods. 'hhese foods also provide a source of w=titer for <br /> them. Deer are "Foraging" animals; which means their waking hours are sl'~cut wandering through the forest searching <br /> for food, and yes, nibbling on their way. Besides providing them with nourishment and exercise, this Foraging is also ' <br /> providing tltam with intellectual stimulation. this is what they do For a livin<~. When I volunteered at Woodland Part: <br /> loo in Seattle. the Keepers ~.vould hide morsels of food fbr the animals for their "enrichment". It l.eeps them stimu' 1 <br /> and occupied. Deer also arc born with a fear of humans. "this is a good thing. if Keeps them away Prom us; and us ' y <br /> from them. bVheu we feed them, tl'rey then associate us kith trod, the naCUr<.tl instinct for avoidance ends, and they <br /> become at tl-~c toast a nuisance and atthe mosC aggressive Coward us. Last year in Yosemite rational Park a child was <br /> I:illed by a charging deer. because he wouldn't share his sandwich ~.vith the deer. Do we want our deer charging our <br /> children? 1 have been told Chat Chore. are some people here who are going to the farm supply and purenasing "COB", <br /> which is a mixuu~e of corn. oats, btu~ley and molasses. "Chas is the food Chat is designed to fatCelt up catClc before thc~ ar< <br /> slar.ighlcrcd. Deer cannot digest Phis foocL so it acts as a laxati~ o. goes right through them, do hydrates them and <br /> cventua.lly causes there to die of starvation and dehydration. When they eat. this sluff, they get a "full' Iceliug. so they <br /> stop browsinsz and eating fhc food that is }rood for them. "hhey also get "bored" as they no longer {'rave the need to <br /> browx, so they' ilo what bored people do - the~~ get into trouble. 1lu~:y will head buff each other, charge each other, and <br /> if a human is in [heir way they will charge them too. Bored deer are dangerous deer. Please do not feed the deer. <br /> Raccoons are; rodents and their natural diet. (besides our garbage). is mice, shred-s, moles, ~-~-~ild fruits and berries. I'~lrey <br /> also ear carrion (dead birds, dead Gish etc.). ~Chey hay c a digesuvc system that is able to metabolize these Goods that <br /> ~-could make us sick. They have ajob to do and that is to help us keep our beaches and Forest clean. "Chet' also bare vcr~ <br /> sharp teeth. and can Cake olTyotn~ l ~~ger or fingers with little eCForf. 'T'hey arc mean and can be aggressive. 'Chef also <br /> carry rabies, hale ticks and fleas thaC carry Rocky Nfountain Spotted Pevcr and the llanttr virus. 'Cbe}% ~a~ill kill cats and <br /> smalldogs. You do not want them around your house, so don't need them, and especially don'C let them eat out of your <br /> hands. 1C is very dangerous. Mahe sure that any pot food is in a "raccoon proof" container and no pct food is Ie(t <br /> ' outside. 't'hey can tear into a pet Pood sack in an instant. You do not want them anywhere near your I~unrse. dust like the <br /> deer; if you iced them they wilt lose their natural te<u~ ofhumans and associat<; humans with food. Thcv are cxircmely <br /> tggressive and will attack. especially srnall chilch-en. if there is food around. <br /> <br /> • loxes. 'Che normal diet for a fox is worms. mice, ~-vild fruits and berries, bn~ds eg~~s and yes, an occasional bird. "I <br /> !irvC foraging and hunting. It keeps them occupied. People i~bod ~n~ill kill ther~r, especially bread which doesn't provide <br /> any nourishment for them and hot dogs. which tiro way loo high in sodiun't for them. 1 have seen foxes in the woods <br /> eatin~~ this siufP, and the~~'ve got to be golfing it From somhA~herc. If you ~nant to raise food for thu I"ones. go buy a <br /> http://haztstenepointe.org/wild animal feeding.html 10/8/2010 <br /> <br />