Wildlife biologists remove ?trash can collar? from an elk
Another example of the negative impacts of wildlife feeding was illustrated recently when Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists had to capture a cow elk in the Hualapai Mountains in northwestern Arizona and remove a trash-can collar that was stuck around its neck.
?This was a direct result of people feeding wildlife, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This elk had become habituated to human food and went digging into garbage because of the past actions of the public,? said Zen Mocarski, public information officer with the Arizona Game and Fish Kingman office.
Mocarski explained that without removal of the flared-out lid, the elk could have gotten stuck between trees. The lid also made it difficult for the animal to see potential danger, whether it be approaching vehicles or a predator.
The department responded and tranquilized the elk so personnel could cut the hard plastic, spring-action lid off the animal?s neck. With several neighborhood dogs running loose, personnel waited at the scene until the tranquilizer?s effects wore off and the elk was again mobile.
?There are so many hazards involved in feeding wildlife,? said Jeff Pebworth, wildlife program manager at the Kingman office. ?You start with the fact that the animals are not getting their required nutrients, then move on to them losing their ability to forage naturally, and end up in a situation like this.
Pebworth said that tranquilizing an animal is not an exact science. ?Bad things can happen. Every animal is going to react differently to being drugged. It was fortunate this instance had a happy ending.?
People should also be aware of other negative impacts of feeding wildlife, such as increased chances of human-wildlife conflicts. Predators such as coyotes or mountain lions might be drawn to the food source or to prey animals that are attracted to the food. Wildlife that becomes conditioned to receiving food from people can lose its fear of humans and potentially become more aggressive.
?The public can take steps to reduce the chance of these types of conflicts,? said Mocarski. ?Never intentionally feed wildlife. Don?t leave garbage cans outside or where they're otherwise accessible to animals. Store pet food and other food sources inside. And don't leave pets outdoors unattended.?
