Don't feed the animals

Shame! Shame!

First on a Daily Herald reader, for not only feeding a Rocky Mountain National Park chipmunk people food when there is abundance of signage warning that it is against the rules, but also for taking a picture of said violation.

Secondly on the Daily Herald, for publishing that picture in its Weekly Photo Contest section.

Shouldn't a respected journal know that?

Please make up for your indiscretion by publishing this information.

Feeding wild animals is harmful because animals that are fed along roads tend to frequent road edges for handouts. This can result in animal-vehicle accidents. Animals that become accustomed to human food may eat aluminum foil, plastic and other wrappings. This can severely damage their digestive systems, often causing death.

A few years ago, several deer at Grand Canyon National Park were put to death because they had ingested plastic bags while searching for human food and the bags had clogged their stomachs.

Most animals' digestive systems are not suited for human food. Poor diet results in tooth decay, ulcers, malformations, arthritis and other diseases. Chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, raccoons and other small animals can carry rabies and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They also can inflict painful scratches and bites prone to infection.

James Paskiewicz

Algonquin