Tossing snacks to cute animals might seem harmless, but one environmental educator explained why this common habit creates problems for wildlife and humans alike.
The Simple Environmentalist (@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist) shared a video on YouTube explaining the dangers of feeding wild animals. The message comes as more people encounter wildlife during outdoor activities.
In the video, the creator addresses viewers directly while discussing the consequences of feeding animals.
"It might not be that big of a deal, like we saw here with the chipmunks, but it can make animals aggressive, and that's really a problem when we're dealing with bigger animals like bears," she explains.
Wild animals can also fall ill from human food, and some may stop hunting for themselves. "They might also become so reliant on us that they become lazy and no longer hunt for food, making it a big problem when it comes to hibernation for the winter and not having enough food stored up," the video notes.
Even discarded food poses risks. "If you leave food waste on the ground with a fruit sticker or any other piece of litter on there, they could eat that and get sick, too," she says. The practice creates danger for people, too, particularly when animals learn to associate humans with meals.
These concerns don't stop at North America. One viewer shared an experience from New Zealand, writing: "I recently did a 4 day hike in one of New Zealand's national parks and there are these birds called Weka who are SOOO used to people feeding them that they now steal packaged energy bars, try to open zippers in search of food and even try to 'eat' stuff like sleeping bags. It's wild."
Another commenter pointed to enforcement challenges, saying: "It's illegal to feed birds a here but people still do it all the time. Sigh."
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