Nature's Edge - Living with Wildlife - August 2004

Recently, we have received a number of phone calls at the Village Hall inquiring about coyotes and foxes which seem to be a little too friendly. Anytime you have a concern about wildlife, which you believe to be too friendly or threatening or if they are causing damage to your property, please call the Village Hall and let us know. The Village keeps a record of these complaints and uses this information as a basis for addressing wildlife problems in public areas. For example, beaver damage along the river. If damage is observed and reported, the Village can provide you as a homeowner with information to protect your property, i.e. how to wrap trees to restrict damage or advise on who to contact to remove the animal. If this damage is occurring on public property, and the Village is not aware of it, the Village will attempt to address it.

Note: The Village will not come onto your property to deal with wildlife issues; however, we will provide information which may assist you, and we will attempt to handle them on public property.

One of the worst things you can do, for the health and welfare of wildlife is to create an artificial food source by feeding it. Wild animals need to live in their environment without the assistance of humans. If you feed these animals, they quickly become reliant on you for their food source. They abandon their natural instinct to forage or hunt for food in the wild and instead come to your feeder for their food.

What happens when you are not there and that food source is not available?

You have trained these animals to believe that "humans" will provide their food source. When you are not around, these animals will look to other humans for their food. When the food is not available, they may even get aggressive. We have received complaints here in the Village where deer, raccoons and other animals come up onto patios and porches in search of food sources. Problems have developed in other communities where pets have been killed by animals fighting for their food and animals have gotten aggressive with people.

It is against the Village Code to feed animals in public places. This would include Spring Lake Park and North Park. Geese at these locations create tremendous amounts of fecal matter that contaminate the lake and playing fields. They are a health hazard. If you feed them, you are contributing to a health hazard and will be held responsible as far as the Village Code allows.

For the health and safety of wild animals and the humans who live in the same area -- PLEASE DO NOT FEED WILD ANIMALS!