It's not just a few peanuts
You may have the best intentions when you want to share your trail mix with a critter in a park but feeding wildlife is dangerous.
Human foods are not healthy for wild animals. Animals that eat our snacks can get full off the wrong foods and stop eating the nutrients they need to survive. They can stop hunting, foraging, or scavenging as they would naturally. They literally want to get chips or die trying.
Depending on humans for food is called food conditioning. Food conditioning is dangerous for animals because it can lead to serious consequences like getting sick, starving, or even having to be killed if they become too aggressive. Animals can lose their fear of people when they get used to eating our food. They may beg, steal, or even rip into your backpack or tent if you don’t give it to them. Because they approach you (and because they’re so cute!) people might think the animals are tame like our pets at home, but they are still wild creatures. If the animal feels threatened for any reason, it could bite, kick, charge, or attack you.
Let them stick to their natural diet. Feeding wildlife isn’t safe for the animals or for you. Learn more about the risks to wildlife from people.
