This is a subject which can divide communities and often causes conflict between neighbours and often sees the local council getting involved.
It is not illegal to feed wildlife, but can become an offence if done inappropriately.
There are two distinctly different approaches to providing food for wildlife:
Many of us have felt the joy and warmth that comes from watching a wild animal or bird enjoy food we’ve offered. From an educational standpoint, this practice can be invaluable in teaching young people the importance of respecting and caring for wildlife. Additionally, there are significant benefits for individuals facing mental health challenges.
However, feeding wildlife is a double-edged sword. If not done appropriately, it can lead to health issues for the animals and increase negative attitudes from those who are less supportive of wildlife.
Should I Feed Wildlife?
In most cases, it’s unnecessary to provide daily food for wildlife. For wildlife to thrive in your area and begin visiting your garden, a natural food source must already be available. Therefore, feeding them is typically not required, as they wouldn’t be present without a natural food supply. However, this does not apply to migratory birds; unless they are blown off course, they usually know their destination and how to find food along the way.
Are there times when feeding wildlife is beneficial?
Yes, there are specific situations where providing food to wildlife can be helpful. During periods of drought or extreme heat, as well as when the ground is frozen, covered with snow, or ice, natural food can be scarce. In these circumstances, it’s worth considering temporarily supporting visiting wildlife with food.
We also recommend artificial feeding when wildlife appears with minor injuries or limps that require rescue, or when a casualty is too mobile to catch easily, necessitating the placement of a trap.
How much should I feed?
We advise feeding in small quantities. Ideally, this means using no more than one bird feeder for all birds or providing a small bowl of food for all mammals, or an equivalent amount.
Are there any foods to avoid?
It’s best to steer clear of processed human food, particularly those that are sugary, salty, or spicy, as well as takeaway or fast food leftovers.
Certain foods, such as dried mealworms, peanuts, and sunflower seeds, can be harmful to some species, especially young mammals still in development, potentially leading to metabolic bone disease.
Cooked bones pose a risk to some mammals as they can splinter, causing injury.
Additionally, pumpkins may lead to digestive issues in small mammals, including hedgehogs, resulting in weight loss and dehydration, particularly during autumn as winter approaches.
Chocolate, onions, avocados, macadamia nuts, raisins, and grapes are all considered harmful to foxes, though this is based on their effects on domestic dogs. Interestingly, a study into the use of garlic in dogs showed dogs would need to consumed extreme quantities to have any significant negative impact.
How often should I provide food?
It’s best to feed wildlife sporadically to prevent them from becoming reliant on you for sustenance. Overfeeding can cause individual animals’ territorial ranges to shrink, leading to an increase in the local population. This can result in an unnatural population density that exceeds what would normally occur in the wild, potentially heightening the risk of disease spread among the species.
Does feeding wildlife increase their noise levels?
Typically, no; however, hedgehogs can be quite loud while eating. Wildlife make sounds for various reasons, most commonly to establish territory, attract mates, or deter predators. They may also vocalize during play or learning activities. These noises would occur regardless of whether you are feeding them.
Will feeding wildlife attract rodents?
Yes, almost every garden has rats and mice as visitors; you’re never too far from them. Providing food will encourage their presence. However, feeding infrequently can help minimize this issue. While you may enjoy observing rats and mice, some neighbours may not share the same sentiment and could contact the local council or pest control to address the problem. This could lead to the suffering of the very wildlife you aim to help and support.
Will their faeces be a problem?
If you feed occasionally and in small quantities, you shouldn’t notice much of a difference, however, some species like foxes will mark food locations with faeces in an attempt to discourage other foxes from visiting and trying to take food.
Environment Health teams will raise concerns if faeces increases in neighbouring gardens as a result of you feeding, especially if there are vulnerable people using those gardens. However, faeces will be left in gardens, whether someone is feeding or not.
Faeces of all animals (including humans) can carry diseases which are harmful to other creatures or plants. Good hygiene should be observed when working outdoors or working in areas where faeces is common. Gloves and covering grazes or wounds are sensible options when working anywhere there is a risk of touching faeces.
Should I increase the amount of food if more animals start visiting?
Absolutely not! Doing so can trigger a cycle of rising numbers that may become unmanageable. Other wildlife will quickly pick up on the feeding location quickly if done in excess. Wild animals and birds are quite clever and can quickly learn how to solicit food from humans. In fact, some birds have even been observed pretending to be unwell in order to encourage feeding.
Should I provide more food if the animals visiting appear thin or hungry?
If you’re worried that a wild animal or bird seems emaciated, reach out to your local wildlife rescue for guidance. It can be helpful to capture a photo or video of the animal’s behavior, as it may need assistance. They can let you know if there’s cause for concern or if you should begin supportive feeding on a temporary basis.
It’s important to remember that wildlife naturally fluctuates in weight throughout the year. During certain seasons, animals will gain weight, while at other times they may appear thinner. For example, foxes often appear lean in summer when they shed their thicker winter coats, revealing more of their ribcage. This is normal and shouldn’t cause alarm, much like the natural appearance of some domestic dog breeds.
There is a growing trend of overfeeding both pets and wildlife, which can lead to health issues, including the accumulation of fatty deposits around internal organs, heart problems, and joint issues due to excess weight.
Wild animals are quite skilled at making sounds that can mislead humans into thinking they are in need of food! There is no visible or external way of telling if a wild animal is hungry or not.
What happens if I over feed?
Territory size is based on the probability of enough food being available in the area. Over feeding can result in territory sizes shrinking as animals don’t need to search as far to find food, this leads to an increase in the number of territories possible in a given area, resulting in a population increase. This might sound like a good thing, but in reality is often detrimental. The increase in contact with neighbouring animals of the same species often leads to an increase risk of disease spreading more easily, an increase in territorial fighting, heightened stress levels for animals in those areas, more territorial noise, and increase faeces and often increase in persecution by those who dislike various species of wildlife.
Will Wildlife Depend on My Feeding?
If you provide only a small amount of food occasionally, the wildlife is less likely to become dependent on you. Wildlife animals are opportunistic creatures, and don’t think the same as humans. Us humans know that our local supermarket will have food in stock, so don’t need to travel far or go hunting, wild animal never think this way and will always eat as much as possible or take food away to store in order to avoid loosing out to another animal. This is not because they are hungry but because they treat all sources of food as unreliable and don’t trust it will be there tomorrow.
However, overfeeding can create reliance and a reduced territory size as mentioned above. Reliance can be harmful if you suddenly find yourself in the hospital, need to relocate, or go on vacation, potentially causing suffering and increased stress to the animals, as a result of increased competition for food and territorial disputes.
Does putting food out, in sight of waiting wildlife, really cause a problem?
Often, this is the case. Opportunistic wildlife tends to arrive earlier and earlier to claim the abundant food before others have the chance. If they notice you stepping out of a door to set down food, it may encourage these animals to wait closer to the entrance, eventually leading them to venture inside in search of food to get ahead of their competition. When foxes, gulls, and other wildlife are seen entering homes, it’s usually because they’ve learned from humans that our residences provide a reliable food source. While you might appreciate the opportunity to observe and interact with wildlife, it’s important to recognize that many others suffer due to persecution from individuals in the area, often resulting in shooting, poisoning, trapping, and relocation, as well as community calls for culls when problems occur.
How does feeding cause diseases to spread amongst our wildlife?
With mammals this is more to do with the increase in physical contact. As competition grows and animals come into contact with each other more frequently. As numbers increase and competition heightens so does their stress levels which will potentially weaken their immune system leading to an increased susceptibility of catching diseases. With birds it is more to do with the numbers feeding at the same site. It only takes one sick bird to regurgitate seed and for another bird to then eat the same seed for disease to spread. Where food stations are left uncleaned or with rotting food, mould, bacteria and fungus will develop and often leads to illness in our wildlife.
What are the alternatives to artificial feeding?
Creating a wildlife garden is a natural and sustainable way to support local wildlife. By planting a variety of flowers, grasses, herbs, shrubs, trees, and fruits, as well as establishing different habitats and shelters, your garden can help sustain the foundational level of the food chain. This approach will attract far more wildlife than you might expect, benefiting not just the creatures that visit your garden.
By providing native food plants and nurturing the base level of the food chain, you can draw in insects and small animals, which in turn serve as food for birds and other wildlife. This method is entirely natural, avoiding processed or unnatural foods, and is much healthier for the ecosystem.
Though you may not see large numbers of any single species, you are likely to encounter a broader diversity of wildlife, fostering a more balanced and sustainable population. This approach also ensures that the species in your garden won’t be negatively impacted if you ever need to stop providing artificial food sources.
Is it necessary to provide water?
Absolutely! It’s wise to ensure that fresh water is accessible in your garden, as clean safe sources of water can sometimes be hard to come by.
