Why Do We Feed Wildlife? | The Tyee

-->

Our journalism is supported by readers like you. Click here to support The Tyee.

Our Journalism is supported by Tyee Builders like you, thank you !

The Tyee is supported by readers like you

Join us and grow independent media in Canada

The Tyee is supported by readers like you

Join Us

Grow independent media in Canada

Local elections matter.<br>Our reporting team will be there.

People in B.C. are headed to the polls in October for municipal elections across the province.

At the same time, local newsrooms have been gutted, with existing reporting teams trying to do more with less.

Local politics are hugely consequential for how we live day to day but often have the lowest voter turnouts of any kinds of elections.

The Tyee’s independent journalists are on the ground, tracking candidates and issues across the province.

And we’re asking our readers what is most important to you this civic election season.

That’s because we work for you. Our non-profit newsroom is funded in large part directly by our readers, who we call Tyee Builders. As a Builder, you can contribute an amount that works for you, on your schedule, and help support the public interest journalism that is crucial during the democratic process. And because we’re a registered journalism organization, you’ll get a tax receipt for your contribution over $5.

Every dollar received from our readers ensures our talented team of journalists can get to work and make our reporting available to the public, free of charge, no paywall.

Support good journalism during election season and become a Tyee Builder today.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Support us now

The Tyee is free to read because readers like you funded it. Will you pay it forward?

You made it all the way to the bottom of the article. That makes you some serious Tyee Builder material.

What’s a Tyee Builder, you ask? It’s a person, a reader, who has decided they want to be part of the team that helps keep open-access, public interest journalism alive.

Without them, without you, the Tyee’s newsroom, staffed with fiercely independent reporters and editors, would not be able to devote all their time to getting to the truth and sharing it freely with the world.

The Tyee is not part of a big news chain or owned by people who are trying to turn a profit. Our non-profit newsroom doesn’t stuff our pages with annoying ads or lock our work behind a paywall. But we still have bills to pay, and good journalism costs a lot. The only way we can square this circle is if a certain percentage of our readers agree to support our newsroom. And luckily, over 10,000 people have decided to do so.

With the help of our readers, we’ve bucked the doom and gloom trend in Canadian media – we’ve grown our team, reach more people than ever, and publish impactful journalism that sparks conversations, reveals truths and moves social change.

Back the team that powers our newsroom – you choose the amount, the frequency, and you can cancel at any time. Plus, you’ll get a tax receipt for your contributions over $5.

If you value the work The Tyee does, please consider becoming a Tyee Builder today.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Support us now

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

This page requires Javascript. Your browser either doesn't support JavaScript or you have it turned off. Please enable JavaScript before you proceed.

A black bear in Whistler, BC. Feeding wildlife can cause health problems for animals and increase conflicts between wild animals and humans.<br>Photo by Pierre Leclerc via Shutterstock.

As British Columbians flock to outdoor spaces it’s important to remember that feeding wildlife is bad for them, say experts.

Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners

TAIWANfest Returns to Vancouver This Labour Day Weekend

The three-day celebration will feature live performances, interactive workshops, ‘Hope Talks’ and shared cultural stories.

As in, really bad for them.

When racoons are fed human food they can become hypoglycemic, or basically pre-diabetic, and their teeth start to rot, said Sarah Benson-Amram, an associate professor in the departments of forest and conservation sciences and zoology at the University of British Columbia.

A harder-to-see impact, but one that is even more dangerous, is that an animal can become habituated to humans.

This is different from being tamed. The animal will still be wild, but it will have less fear of humans, she said.

This can lead to animals spending more time around people, which can put them at increased risk of being hit by vehicles, she said.

If a coyote is comfortable hanging out in someone’s backyard, then that person’s pet dog is more likely to be attacked or eaten by that coyote, she said.

Habituated wild animals can learn to approach people for food and can become aggressive towards people and attack them,...