Living with Wildlife - Feeding Wildlife

Australian Magpie (Photo: Fiona Fuhlbohm)

Wildlife co-exist with humans in the urban landscape, however familiarity can become a danger to both wildlife and humans, particularly if wildlife are fed.

Feeding wildlife can

• alter their normal behaviour
• contribute to their overpopulation
• make some animals aggressive
• result in their malnourishment
• contribute to the presence of rodents such as rats.

Providing food for species such as Australian Magpies and Common Brushtail Possums can trigger territory disputes and often encourage the presence of Australian Ravens, whose physical presence can deter the very wildlife people are trying to attract to their backyards.

You can enjoy native wildlife without feeding them by planting a native garden and/or placing a bird bath in your garden.