I like animals: I find it odd how in the US it's considered bad to feed wildlife
Here in the UK we are actively encouraged by wildlife groups to feed the wildlife in our gardens! I get that the US has some more dangerous wildlife such as bears and coyotes, but still.
Garden birds are the most commonly fed wildlife over here. In fact, without our help…
The biggest problem here in the US is if we encourage the feeding of wildlife, then the fine line between helping and putting the animal in danger is basically gone. For some, like birds, it is supportive.. But then we have instances like Beggar the dolphin where they are disrespectful and feed him trash- also his dependency on humans eliminating a need to hunt.. Or manatees, that would approach boats as a result and face death. Not to mention it can put humans in immediate danger- if you feed a bear, that bear will approach people in search of food. Certain states have laws where a bear will be put to death if it approaches humans, for it acts as a threat. In some countries, feeding the wildlife may work.. But in the United States, there’s too many negative factors on both ours and the animals sides, so it’s better to just let the animals be.
Ah, that makes sense!
I guess I just find it interesting how different countries approach wildlife. Its so ingrained here to help and get involved with wildlife that the idea of leaving well alone is just strange to me. But then we don’t have big, dangerous predators to worry about. I imagine being approached by a bear is much scarier then being approached by a little hedgehog or fox. xD
Plus we don’t have rabies here, which I believe is also a big concern with wildlife and humans in other countries.
Oh yes! Raccoons especially- I know where I’m from (Florida) they have to put down any wildlife showing symptoms of rabies. It’s really dependent on the animals though, what kind of rules and regulations are in place. IMHO, I think the US is concerned with preserving wildlife in it’s natural state, which means minimizing human-animal interaction as much as possible.. With good reason- some of our citizens aren’t the most considerate or respectful of our fellow inhabitants. :( it’s really cool to see the contrast between countries approaches though, you’re totally right!
I like animals: I find it odd how in the US it's considered bad to feed wildlife
Here in the UK we are actively encouraged by wildlife groups to feed the wildlife in our gardens! I get that the US has some more dangerous wildlife such as bears and coyotes, but still.
Garden birds are the most commonly fed wildlife over here. In fact, without our help…
The biggest problem here in the US is if we encourage the feeding of wildlife, then the fine line between helping and putting the animal in danger is basically gone. For some, like birds, it is supportive.. But then we have instances like Beggar the dolphin where they are disrespectful and feed him trash- also his dependency on humans eliminating a need to hunt.. Or manatees, that would approach boats as a result and face death. Not to mention it can put humans in immediate danger- if you feed a bear, that bear will approach people in search of food. Certain states have laws where a bear will be put to death if it approaches humans, for it acts as a threat. In some countries, feeding the wildlife may work.. But in the United States, there’s too many negative factors on both ours and the animals sides, so it’s better to just let the animals be.
