At the Wildlife Medical Clinic, we receive many phone calls from caring members of the community asking if they should be feeding healthy and/or injured wildlife. We truly appreciate when citizens care enough about our native wildlife to reach out and ask these commonly asked questions. The short answer is no, you should not feed wild animals. Although we understand that this gesture comes from a place of love for our wildlife species, it can cause harm to them and provide hazards to humans, as well.
That being said, let’s get into some specific examples of commonly fed wildlife.
Squirrels
Squirrels are a common species of wildlife that we see frequently, even in urban areas! It is common for people to leave food out for the squirrels that live nearby, but let’s rethink that. Human food is often not nutritionally appropriate for their needs and can even cause illness when consumed. Not only can it be bad for their overall health, but it trains the squirrel to stop hunting and foraging for food. Then, if you forget to feed them once you’ve already started, or if you are away from your home for a period of time, these squirrels are unable to find food for themselves, which can lead to starvation. Squirrels that are being fed by humans often lose their fear of us and are therefore more likely to show aggression, which could result in biting a person. There are a multitude of human medical concerns that arise when bitten by a wild animal. To ensure your safety, your fellow neighbor’s safety, and the squirrel’s safety, please refrain from feeding them.
Raccoons
For similar reasons to that of the squirrel, we also do not recommend feeding raccoons. When feeding raccoons, it can cause them to congregate in higher-than-normal numbers at your home. This upsets the balance of the local ecosystem and can increase competition for food. Thus, inducing more aggressive behaviors between raccoons, which can lead to conflict with humans. Raccoons are a common rabies vector species, and if bitten it would be considered a medical emergency. You should seek medical attention immediately or even go to the emergency room.
Birds
Bird feeders are a common route for feeding wildlife. One of the problems with using bird feeders is that it can aid in the spread of disease between birds. It can also lead to a higher rate of predation because there is now an influx of birds going to the same spot, on a predictable schedule. As bird feeders are usually next to or near windows, it can also increase the likelihood for window strikes, which can cause injury or even death to birds. Feeding birds has also been shown to change the behavior and health status of the bird.
What about Hummingbird Feeders?
Hummingbirds are another species where there is a commercially available diet that people purchase to feed them. However, if regular cleaning is not completed, the nectar that is used to fill hummingbird feeders can easily become contaminated with various molds, bacteria, bugs, and fungus. This can cause illness and even death to the hummingbirds that visit those feeders.
Healthy Wildlife Should Not Need Help Finding Food.
To ensure the health, safety, and protection of our native wildlife, please refrain from interfering in their natural behaviors by feeding them. We cannot match the same diet that these animals would be foraging for themselves in the wild and most commercially available diets marketed for feeding wildlife are not nutritionally balanced. As a licensed rehabilitator, we do have access to more nutritionally sound diets backed by research to help support these animals while they are in our care. We are also trained to take very strict precautions when overseeing these patients to ensure their safety and the safety of our staff. But the goal of our clinic is to safely rehabilitate wildlife and release them to their natural habitats as soon as possible.
How to Safely Interact with our Native Wildlife.
As adorable as wildlife is, they are wild for a reason and do not need our intervention with food. However, there are some ways that you can still enjoy the beauty of our wildlife! For example, bird walks are a wonderful way to view different native avian species from a far. Also, cameras outside your home are a cool and interactive way to view your wildlife visitors!
Thank you for caring and protecting our native wildlife!
Written by Maddie, Class of 2027
