Feeding wildlife may be doing harm, Mayor Tony Wellington warns
The best way to encourage wildlife into your yard is to grow native food plants, says Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington.
But many people use inappropriate human food to attract native wildlife, and according to the Mayor this is equivalent to serving up a diet of junk food. The Mayor is concerned that artificial wildlife feeding may be impacting on overall biodiversity.
"Feeding wildlife with inappropriate food is equivalent to creating a junk food addiction in our wildlife,” Mayor Tony Wellington says. “Bread, cheese, sugar and processed seeds can make wild animals sick. The problem is magnified when native birds regurgitate this unsuitable food into the mouths of their growing chicks.
"Even meat designed for human consumption is not good for native carnivores. Kookaburras, for example, require the skin and organs of whole animals. So lean meat is robbing them of essential aspects of their diet. Many meat products like sausages also contain chemical additives and high quantities of salt, the impact of which can be pronounced in small animals.
"And of course no native animal has evolved to eat processed dairy products. Feeding cheese to butcherbirds, for example, is just plain wrong.”
Many people put out seed feeders in their garden, but these may also be problematic Cr Wellington warns. "Lorikeets, for example, are not designed to eat large amounts of seed. They feed naturally on nectar, pollen and soft fruits. Seeds tend to break off the fine hairs on their tongues which they need to be able to eat their proper diet. And black sunflower seeds can be lethal to all birds because of their high oil content.”
But it’s not just birds that may be impacted by artificial feeding. "Ringtail possums are predominantly foliage eaters. Feeding them too much fruit can lead to a nasty condition called caecal stasis which causes horrific pain over many weeks and often leads to death. Bread is particularly problematic for wildlife. Kangaroos and wallabies may develop the lethal ‘lumpy jaw’ disease if fed bread.
"Then there are the other issues surrounding feeding of wildlife, such as removing their innate fear of humans. This often results in conflicts with other humans or else lethal interactions with dogs, cats and cars. Animals that expect to get fed by humans can also become aggressive and problematic, for both the feeders and their near neighbours.
"Artificial feeding not only interferes with natural behaviors, it also shifts the relative abundance of species. For example, some species that used to seasonally migrate are now staying put near artificial food sources. And increasing the numbers of nest robbers, like kookaburras and currawongs, inevitably leads to decreasing numbers of smaller birds like wrens.
"People often excuse their own wildlife feeding actions by saying they only give them a little bit, so it won’t really affect the animals’ overall diet. But of course animals that have learnt to cadge a meal from one human will inevitably endear themselves to other willing humans, and thus go from house to house filling up on the wrong stuff. So the occasional tidbit may be just an hors d’oeuvre in a whole moving feast of harmful junk food.
"If people enjoy wildlife around the home, they should plant appropriate native food plants, or else put in a tall bird bath. Feeding wildlife is the worst way to encourage animal diversity, as it can have the opposite effect.
"I'd like to see Noosa Shire leading the nation in its understanding of the harmful impacts of wildlife feeding," Cr Wellington says. “Noosa is already recognized for its environmental responsibility. Here’s an opportunity to help cement that reputation, and everyone can take part.”
9 January 2017