Do not feed the animals
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The message "do not feed the animals" reflects a policy of not feeding animals which might be harmed by the feeding. Signs displaying this message are commonly found in zoos, parks and other places where people come into contact with wildlife.
The signs are used to discourage visitors from giving any food to the animals. In a zoo this is due to the strict dietary controls in place.[1] Artificial feeding can result in, for example, vitamin deficiencies.[2] Another motivation is the concern that animals will become accustomed to ingesting foreign objects thrown into their enclosures and might ingest harmful objects.[3] The sign is also common when asking people not to feed animals in a public place – some animals are considered to be a pest and would leave the area if the food was not available. One reason for this is that the animals can start aggressively seeking out food from people, sometimes leading to injury. In some cases there are laws to enforce such rules.[4] Another 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.[2][5]
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Some zoos, particularly petting zoos, do the opposite and actively encourage people to get involved with the feeding of the animals.[7] This, however, is strictly monitored and usually involves set food available from the zookeepers or vending machines, as well as a careful choice of which animals to feed, and the provision of hand-washing facilities to avoid infection.[6]
In national parks, 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.[8] Early 20th century park management which encouraged animal feeding is now viewed negatively.[9][10][11]
References
- ^ Darill Clements, Postcards from the Zoo, HarperCollins Australia, 2010.
- ^ a b "Feeding native animals". Queensland Government. 2011. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- ^ "Feeding the animals". State of Victoria. 2010. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
- ^ NOAA Public Affairs, DO NOT FEED OR INTERACT WITH HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS, 30 January 2004, accessed 24 June 2013.
- ^ Alex Cukan (August 31, 2002). "'Do not feed wild animals'". UPI Science News. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Paul A. Rees, An Introduction to Zoo Biology and Management, Wiley, 2011, p. 306.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lisa Gollin Evans, Outdoor Family Guide: Rocky Mountain National Park, The Mountaineers Books, 2011, p. 23.
- ^ Robert B. Keiter, To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea, Island Press, 2013, p. 176.
- ^ Robert W. Sandford, Ecology and Wonder in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, Athabasca University Press, 2009, pp. 284–288.
- ^ Tammy Lau and Linda Sitterding, Yosemite National Park in Vintage Postcards, Arcadia Publishing, 2000, p. 125.
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