Keeping Wildlife Wild

  From its stately oak trees and majestic pines, to the soothing and native waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and fresh and brackish water lagoons, to the beautiful native fauna, the Landings community is quite the island paradise. Although many human residents could not imagine calling any other place besides The Landings home, there are countless animal residents that feel the same way. While living in such close proximity to nature can be an enriching experience, it’s important to keep in mind that wildlife is wild! Feeding wildlife is detrimental to the health and safety of both wildlife and residents. Residents are reminded NEVER to feed wildlife. Although this might seem a bit strict to some people, it is basic step to take to ensure healthier and safer coexistence between residents and wildlife, according to The Landings Association’s Environmental Manager Dylan Till. “Education is the first step in helping residents understand they are hurting, not helping, wildlife by feeding them,” Till said. “People aren’t feeding wildlife because they are a bad people but because they incorrectly believe they are helping. It is also important to realize there is a big difference in having a bird feeder and dumping five-gallon buckets of corn into a lagoon to feed Hooded Mergansers or in your backyard to feed deer.” Till added that it is against Georgia state law to feed certain wildlife, including alligators. “When alligators are fed, they lose their fear of humans and start to associate humans with food,” he said. “The alligators can become overly aggressive, and ultimately it’s necessary to have them lethally removed.” Following are a few more reasons residents are reminded NEVER to feed wildlife.

• Human foods aren’t nutritious enough for animals and may cause serious health problems.
• It makes wild animals lose their natural fear of people. Feeding can make large, potentially dangerous animals too comfortable in residential or recreational areas. Once animals learn they can panhandle for food, they can become a nuisance or, even worse, a safety risk.
• Wild animals that depend on people for food can cause injuries or spread disease. When wild animals gather for food handouts, it causes crowding and competition. These unnatural conditions increase the chances of fighting and injury among animals. It also can increase the spread of diseases, some of which may be transmitted to pets and humans.

If you want to be good stewards of the wildlife in The Landings, do your part by observing wildlife from a distance and by not feeding it!