Do not feed the animals

In the 1960s, US national parks began to discourage the feeding of bears,[1] as reflected in this photograph from 1961, featuring Yogi Bear
Feral pigeons being fed in a public space
Where zoos permit visitors to feed animals, it is usually domestic animals such as sheep and goats,[2] as in this French zoo
At Monkey Mia in Australia, dolphins are fed under ranger supervision[3]

The prohibition "do not feed the animals" reflects a policy forbidding the artificial feeding of wild or feral animals. Signs displaying this message are commonly found in zoos, circuses, animal theme parks, aquariums, national parks, parks, public spaces, farms, and other places where people come into contact with wildlife.[4][5][6] In some cases there are laws to enforce such no-feeding policies.[7][8]

Feeding wild animals can significantly change their behavior. Feeding or leaving unattended food to large animals, such as bears, can lead them to aggressively seek out food from people, sometimes resulting in injury.[9] Feeding can also alter animal behavior so that animals routinely travel in larger groups, which can make disease transmission between animals more likely.[10] In public spaces, the congregation of animals caused by feeding can result in them being considered pests.[11] In zoos, giving food to the animals is discouraged due to the strict dietary controls in place.[5] More generally, artificial feeding can result in, for example, vitamin deficiencies[12] and dietary mineral deficiencies.[13] Outside zoos, a 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.[12][14]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lau was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rees was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Shire of Shark Bay. "Monkey Mia Reserve". Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  4. ^ Nigel Rothfels, Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo, JHU Press, 2008, ISBN 0801898099, p. 35.
  5. ^ a b Darill Clements, Postcards from the Zoo, HarperCollins Australia, 2010.
  6. ^ Dwyer, June (2013). "Do Not Feed the Animals: Do Not Touch: Desire for Wild Animal Companionship in the Twenty-first Century". Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. 19 (4): 623–644. doi:10.1093/isle/iss118.
  7. ^ "NOAA Reminder: Do Not Feed Or Interact With Hawaiian Monk Seals". NOAA Public Affairs. 30 January 2004. Archived from the original on 2005-11-05. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  8. ^ "Artificial Feeding of Wildlife is against the law". Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. State of Montana. January 29, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-29.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference UrbanCarnivores was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Frederick R. Adler and Colby J. Tanner, Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Principles for the Built Environment, Cambridge University Press, 2013, ISBN 0521769841, p. 210. Archived 2017-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference UrbanHabitats was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "Feeding native animals". Queensland Government. 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  13. ^ Carol A. Heiser. "Feeding Wildlife: Food for Thought" (PDF). Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-21. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  14. ^ Alex Cukan (August 31, 2002). "'Do not feed wild animals'". UPI Science News. Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2013-06-29.