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Feral pigeons being fed in a public space
Where zoos permit visitors to feed animals, it is usually domestic animals such as sheep and goats,_in_Australia,_dolphins_are_fed_under_Park_ranger.html" "title="dolphin.html" ;"title="Monkey Mia in Australia, dolphin">Monkey Mia in Australia, dolphins are fed under Park ranger">ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
supervision
The prohibition "do not feed the animals" reflects a policy forbidding the artificial feeding of wildlife, wild or Feral organism, feral animals. Signage, Signs displaying this message are commonly found in
zoo
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological g ...
s,
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
es,
animal theme park
An animal theme park, also known as a zoological theme park, is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertainment, amusement, and commercial purposes. Many animal theme parks combine classic theme park elements, such as themed ...
s,
aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
s,
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s,
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
s,
public space
A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to ...
s,
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
s, and other places where people come into contact with
wildlife
Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...
.
In some cases there are laws to enforce such no-feeding policies.
Feeding wild animals can significantly change their behavior. Feeding or leaving unattended food to large animals, such as bears, can lead them to aggressively seek out food from people, sometimes resulting in injury.
Feeding can also alter animal behavior so that animals routinely travel in larger groups, which can make disease transmission between animals more likely. In public spaces, the congregation of animals caused by feeding can result in them being considered
pests
PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...
.
In zoos, giving food to the animals is discouraged due to the strict
dietary controls in place.
[Darill Clements, ''Postcards from the Zoo'', HarperCollins Australia, 2010.] More generally, artificial feeding can result in, for example,
vitamin deficiencies
Vitamin deficiency is the condition of a long-term lack of a vitamin. When caused by not enough vitamin intake it is classified as a ''primary deficiency'', whereas when due to an underlying disorder such as malabsorption it is called a ''seconda ...
and
dietary mineral
In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element required as an essential nutrient by organisms to perform functions necessary for life. However, the four major structural elements in the human body by weight (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon ...
deficiencies.
Outside zoos, a concern is that the increase in local concentrated wildlife population due to artificial feeding can promote the
transfer of disease among animals or between animals and humans.
Sign example gallery
file:Sign advising not to feed the animals.jpg, Signs such as this are used to emphasize a no-feeding policy
file:Do not feed wildlife - Miles Creek.jpg, Signs in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
discouraging locals against feeding urban wildlife
Urban wildlife is wildlife that can live or thrive in urban/suburban environments or around densely populated human settlements such as townships.
Some urban wildlife, such as house mice, are synanthropic, ecologically associated with and even ...
file:No Feeding.jpg, This sign discourages feeding coyotes, which can result in aggressive behavior
Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
toward humansOregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
Zoos
Zoo
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological g ...
s generally discourage visitors from giving any food to the animals.
Some zoos, particularly
petting zoo
A petting zoo (also called a children's zoo, children's farm, or petting farm) features a combination of domesticated animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, many general ...
s, do the opposite and actively encourage people to get involved with the feeding of the animals.
[Devra G. Kleiman, Katerina V. Thompson, and Charlotte Kirk Baer, ''Wild Mammals in Captivity: Principles and Techniques for Zoo Management'', 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, 2010, ]
p. 140.
This, however, is strictly monitored and usually involves set food available from the
zookeeper
A zookeeper, sometimes referred as animal keeper, is a person who manages zoo animals that are kept in captivity for conservation or to be displayed to the public.Hurwitz, Jane. Choosing a Career in Animal Care (World of Work). New York: Rosen Gr ...
s or
vending machines
A vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. The fir ...
, as well as a careful choice of which animals to feed, and the provision of hand-washing facilities to avoid spreading disease.
[Paul A. Rees, ''An Introduction to Zoo Biology and Management'', Wiley, 2011]
p. 306.
Domestic animals such as
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
and
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s are often permitted to be fed,
as are
giraffe
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...
s.
National and state parks
In
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s and
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
s, feeding animals can result in malnourishment due to inappropriate diet and in disruption of natural hunting or food-gathering behavior. It can also be dangerous to the people doing the feeding.
In the US, early 20th century
park management actually encouraged animal feeding. For example, "the feeding of squirrels had been seen as a way to civilize the parks and rechannel the energies of young boys from aggression and vandalism toward compassion and charity."
Park rangers once fed bears in front of crowds of tourists.
However, with a greater awareness of ecological and other issues, such pro-feeding policies are now viewed as detrimental,
[Tammy Lau and Linda Sitterding, ''Yosemite National Park in Vintage Postcards'', Arcadia Publishing, 2000]
p. 125.
[Robert B. Keiter, ''To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea'', Island Press, 2013]
p. 176.
and US national parks now actively discourage animal feeding.
In Canadian national parks, it is illegal to disturb or feed wildlife, and
Parks Canada
Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...
advises visitors not to leave out "food attractants" such as dirty dishes. Ironically, the "it is unlawful to feed animals" signs may themselves become food attractants for
porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...
s.
Road salt
Sodium chloride , commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g ...
and
roadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...
may also act as food attractants, and removing roadkill is considered good park management.
Marine parks
Tourism operators often provide food to attract marine wildlife such as
sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
to areas where they can be more easily viewed. Such a practice is controversial, however, because it can create a dependency on artificial feeding, habituate animals to feeding locations, increase inter-species and intra-species aggression, and increase the spread of disease. In Australia's
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. It is a vast multiple-use Marine Park which supports a wide range of uses, including commercial marine tourism, fishing, ports an ...
, shark feeding is prohibited. In
Hawaiian waters, shark feeding is permitted only in connection with traditional
Hawaiian cultural or religious activities.
The feeding of wild
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
s for tourist purposes is also controversial, and is prohibited in the US because it can alter natural hunting behaviour, disrupt social interaction, encourage the dolphins to approach or ingest dangerous objects, and endanger the person doing the feeding. At
Monkey Mia
Monkey Mia is a popular tourist destination located about 900 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The reserve is 25 km northeast of the town of Denham in the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage Site.
The main attraction are t ...
in Western Australia, dolphin feeding is permitted under
Department of Environment and Conservation supervision.
Backyards
Similar issues to those in national and state parks also apply in suburban and rural
backyard
A backyard, or back yard (known in the United Kingdom as a back garden or just garden), is a yard at the back of a house, common in suburban developments in the Western world.
In Australia, until the mid-20th century, the back yard of a pro ...
s. Artificial feeding of
coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
s, deer, and other wildlife is discouraged.
[Stanley D. Gehrt, Seth P. D. Riley, and Brian L. Cypher, ''Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation'', JHU Press, 2010, ]
p. 231.
[Stephen DeStefano, ''Coyote at the Kitchen Door: Living With Wildlife in Suburbia'', Harvard University Press, 2010]
p. 76.
/ref> Feeding deer, for example, may contribute to the spread of bovine tuberculosis
Bovines ( subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including cattle, bison, African buffalo, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship betw ...
.bird feeder
A birdfeeder, bird table, or tray feeder are devices placed outdoors to supply bird food to birds (bird feeding). The success of a bird feeder in attracting birds depends upon its placement and the kinds of foods offered, as different species h ...
s is an exception, at least in the US, even though it can sometimes contribute to spreading disease.bird feeding
Bird feeding is the activity of feeding wild birds, often by means of bird feeders. With a recorded history dating to the 6th century, the feeding of wild birds has been encouraged and celebrated in the United States and United Kingdom, with it b ...
is viewed more negatively.
Public spaces
Feral pigeon
Feral pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia forma urbana''), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons,Nagy, Kelsi, and Johnson, Phillip David. ''Trash animals: how we live with natures filthy, feral, invasive, an ...
s are often found in urban public space
A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to ...
s. They are often considered environmental pests, and can transmit diseases such as psittacosis
Psittacosis—also known as parrot fever, and ornithosis—is a zoonotic infectious disease in humans caused by a bacterium called ''Chlamydia psittaci'' and contracted from infected parrots, such as macaws, cockatiels, and budgerigars, and from ...
.[C. Philip Wheater, ''Urban Habitats'', Routledge, 2002, ]
p. 94.
Deliberate feeding of feral pigeons, though popular, contributes to these problems.Duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
s are also commonly fed in public spaces. In an early 1970s US study, 67% of people visiting urban parks did so to feed ducks. However, such feeding may contribute to water pollution and to over-population of the birds, as well as delaying winter migration to an extent that may be dangerous for the birds.[Laura Erickson, ''101 Ways to Help Birds'', Stackpole Books, 2006, ]
p 130.
Feeding foods such as white bread to ducks and geese can result in bone deformities.
Traditions of feeding the animals
Some people oppose such laws claiming that animals such as pigeons can be an amenity for people who do not have company such as friends or family, and say that the laws prohibiting feeding animals in urban places must change. In some countries, such as Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, feeding the pigeons in cities is a widespread practice. Cultural hostility to feeding animals in cities and laws that ban the practice raise concerns about how humans relate to other living beings in the urban environment.India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, feeding feral animals in cities is considered a noble act.
See also
* Protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
References
{{Reflist
Animal welfare
Eating behaviors
Animals and humans
*
Wildlife
Zoos
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