Wildlife Health Fact Sheet

Extracted text (beginning)

Ministry of 
Forests, Lands and 
Natural Resource Operations 
 
Fish, Wildlife and 
Habitat Management 
Branch 
 
Mailing Address: 
PO Box 9391 Stn Prov Govt 
Victoria BC  V8W 9M8 
 
 
 
Phone: (250) 387-9771 
Fax: (250) 387-0239 
Website:   www.gov.bc.ca/nro 
 
 
WILDLIFE HEALTH FACT SHEET 
Feeding Wild Ungulates – why it isn’t the answer. 
 
Keep wildlife wild – it is BC policy and it makes sense.  When humans provide food to wild animals it 
changes their “wildness”, no matter what species is being fed.  There are justifiable reasons to feed wild 
animals, such as to attract them for capture, but these situations are rare.  The consequences of feeding 
a wild animal unnatural types and amounts of feed can range from mildly irritating behaviour to 
catastrophic health issues, so understanding the reasons behind this policy is important. 
 
The following guidance is specific to ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as deer, elk, or bighorn sheep 
but the principle of keeping wildlife wild apply to all wild animals.   
 
Background 
Opportunities to come close to wild ungulates are rare but rewarding, especially when the animals are 
unaware of the humans.  Habituation, or increased animal tolerance for close contact with humans, 
occurs when animals are fed, and with this comes unplanned consequences.  Some of the consequences 
include: 
 
1. Feed Effects  
Wild ungulates have specialized seasonal food requirements, which they fulfill by eating a 
wide variety of foods from their environment.  Well-intentioned people may quite literally be 
“killing with kindness” when they provide unnatural food items to wild ungulates.  
 All ungulates are ruminants with specific bacteria in their digestive tracts, specialized to digest 
their specific diet.  It can take weeks for ungulate digestive systems to adjust to new food items.  
Rapid changes, especially at critical times such as the fall, can result in death, even with rumens 
full of (unnatural) food.   
 Dry feeds, such as hay, grains or pelleted types, are prepared for domestic livestock and meant 
to be used with abundant fresh water.  Without ready access to water, dry feed can impact in 
the digestive tract and can kill wild ungulates. 
 Grains, pelleted feeds or surplus fruits are high in carbohydrates/protein/energy and even small 
amounts can cause digestive upsets that lead to diarrhea, bloating and significant damage to 
ungulate digestive tracts. 
2. Population Effects  
Wild ungulate populations are naturally limited by a number of factors, including the amount and 
quality of food their habitat supplies.  Animals in poor body condition or with high nutritional needs, 
such as the young may die when natural environmental conditions and appropriate foods are not 
present in the right amount and quality to sustain them.  
 
Feeding of wild ungulates by humans increases animal density in the short term by concentrating 
animals around the feed source.  Density increases may also occur over tim

First 3,000 characters. Open the original for the whole document.