Florida sandhill crane.
Photo
© Lynda Richardson
Sure, you probably know better than to feed wild
animals — but what do you do when you see someone who doesn't? Should you
say something, and if so, what?
Anne
C. Wright of Melbourne, FL,
writes:
I live in
an area which has become quite a habitat for the beautiful sandhill cranes.
Recently I've seen people feeding some of them; things like french fries,
very close to busy streets. How might I approach these people — without
insulting them — and convince them that this food is not MEANT for the
cranes (some people say it's not even fit for humans!), can make them sick
and that they are encouraging a habit that is not only unhealthy, but very
dangerous.
Sandhill
cranes are cherished members of the Florida
ecosystem. They stand almost four feet tall and their bugling or
rattling calls are haunting and beautiful. Sandhill cranes are found in pastures, open prairies
and freshwater wetlands in peninsular Florida from the Everglades
to the Okefenokee Swamp.
In 2002, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission made it illegal to feed sandhill cranes.
Why Is Feeding Cranes A Bad Idea?
Cranes fed by humans
can become aggressive toward people. In several instances, children have been
attacked by cranes.
Cranes fed by humans also have been known to
damage window screens and do other property damage. This behavior is
probably a response of the birds to seeing their reflection, bringing out a
territorial defense behavior (scratching at windows or shiny automobiles).
Cranes also are more likely to tangle in human garbage in areas populated
by people.
Cranes attracted to people's yards for feed
are put at risk as they walk across roads. Many sandhill cranes
are killed each year on Florida roads. Cranes are also more likely to crash into power lines
in urban areas where such aerial hazards are concentrated.
Attracting cranes to urban areas increases the
threat of predation (especially to young cranes) by dogs or cats. Further,
the cranes' diets, which normally are quite diverse, are disrupted when they
eat one food item (such as corn), consistently.
Heavy pesticide use in urban lawns also is of
concern. Young sandhill cranes have died from pesticide poisoning.
It's Never a Good Idea to Feed Wildlife
People inadvertently
put cranes in harms way when they attract these birds with feed.
Florida sandhill cranes have an abundance of
natural foods (insects and small animals) and they do not need
handouts from humans.
There are many reasons why cranes should not
be intentionally fed by humans, so I hope this gives you a few you can
communicate to these well-intentioned people. The bottom line message:
"For the good of the cranes, please do not feed them."
