Help wildlife by creating your own natural habitat

Posted 3 years ago

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Residents are reminded to refrain from feeding wildlife at local parks and lakes and build their own natural ecosystems at home instead.

Feeding wildlife like ducks and fish in local waterways can be damaging to an animal’s health with some food doing more harm than good, including:

  • Malnourishment – bread is like junk food for wildlife and it doesn’t contain adequate nutritional value for the development of young wildlife, or the health of adult wildlife;
  • Sickness and disease – eating unnatural food means animals defecate often, leading to more bacteria and pathogens in the water;
  • Water quality – as uneaten bread decays, it releases nutrients like phosphorus into the water which reduces dissolved oxygen and leads to the growth of algae and aquatic weeds;
  • Behaviour problems – wildlife can become dependent on being fed by humans and forget how to forage for themselves; and
  • Attracting pests – leaving leftover food lying around can attract rats, mice, flies and cockroaches.

Mayor of Camden, Cr Theresa Fedeli, said there were many other ways to connect with wildlife from your own home.

“While it may be enjoyable to feed the wildlife at our local parks or waterways, it can also be detrimental to the health of our animals,” Cr Fedeli said.

“There are other fun and educational ways that kids can interact with wildlife, including planting a native garden at home, or even going on a nature quest.

“Both of these will attract native wildlife by providing a habitat and equally as important, natural food sources. This will ensure that we don’t interfere with their conservation and the natural processes they need to survive.”

For more information on how to create a habitat garden or go on a nature quest, go to camden.nsw.gov and search ‘biodiversity’.

 

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