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Human intervention into the diets of deer, geese, and bear
in particular pose serious problems with wildlife management.
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Feeding Wildlife - A Vicious Cycle |
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People feed wildlife
to lure the animals closer for photography or because they think the animals are
hungry |
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Wildlife
becomes dependent on people for food and stops looking for natural food. These
handouts often have little nutritional value. |
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Wild animals approach
people looking for handouts. This leads to conflicts between wildlife and people. |
Many wild animals
are lured into areas too small to support them |
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Wild animals that
rely on human food raid garbage cans and coolers and wander out onto the road |
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Wild animals overeat
the vegitation in the area including shrubs and gardens. |
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Deer
Feeding Deer lures too many deer into an area with insufficient
food. When the handouts end (often in winter) there is not enough food for the
deer to survive. Plus, most food provided does not supply appropriate nutrients
and leads to unhealthy animals.
Geese
Feeding geese coaxes geese to stay in their summer range year
round. When natural food sources disappear in winter, geese depend completely
on people for food. Feeding geese can cause them to become dependent on handouts
after only three years. Also, a large concentration of geese creates an increase
in droppings. This unsanitary accumulation can raise bacterial levels in streams
and lakes that can cause health concerns.
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