After residents voiced their concerns about the growing deer population in one Michigan community, officials delivered a potential solution to the problem — but not everyone is on board.
According to WLUK Fox 11, officials unanimously passed an ordinance that forbids residents from leaving out food for wildlife in the village of Howard. Residents who violate the ordinance will be fined between $500 and $1,000. Howard Village Trustee Cathy Hughes said the ban will benefit public health.
"I had a lady call me that had lost seven dogs before the vet found a tick on the eighth dog," Hughes said. "They were able to save the eighth dog. Ticks, it doesn't really matter with ticks, they are horrible. They are on the deer. That's it."
Commonly found in regions such as the Upper Midwest, ticks attach to a host's skin and feed on their blood. According to the Mayo Clinic, the deer tick carries Borrelia bacteria, which can cause Lyme disease. A rash that may look like a bull's-eye is an early sign of the illness. Fever, headaches, and joint stiffness are common symptoms.
Overabundance in deer populations can reduce plant diversity in the forest, per the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Deer feed on native wildflower species, some of which are endangered. Native plants are vital to a healthy ecosystem. They attract pollinators that aid in plant reproduction, which ultimately supports the global food supply.
WLUK Fox 11 shared the news of the ordinance on its Facebook page. The post received more than 100 comments from community members, many of whom do not support the ban.
"We take away their habitat then expect them to survive," one commenter said. "Homeowners should be able to feed if they want to."
"Having lived in Howard for 25 years and seen how much it's been built up, this post is kind of sad," another commenter wrote. "Deer basically have nowhere else to go, all their habitat is gone. Is this what getting old feels like? Seeing the world shrink?"
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