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Feeding animals (was Re: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney)
- Subject: Feeding animals (was Re: [pct-l] Mt. Whitney)
- From: CMountainDave at aol.com (CMountainDave@xxxxxxx)
- Date: Fri Jun 6 12:18:46 2003
In a message dated 6/6/03 8:35:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
teamcourage@attbi.com writes:
<<
that is dirffrant they control the amount that is fed and they still get
naturel foods. thatr was started ebfore they had the resrech studes to show
the harm and it would be harder on the naimls to stop then continue
>>
How is it different? Are they or are they not dependent on food given to them
by humans? The statement was made that feeding wild animals is selfish, Is it
selfish in this case or humane. The statement was also made that a fed animal
is a dead animal. Is that or is that not true in this case. One can make that
statement when bears are involved because they become a dangerous nuisance,
but I'm not convinced when it comes to say,gray jays and chipmunks. One could
just as easily argue that bird feeders allow many birds to make it through the
winter. In fact, people are encouraged to throw out bread crumbs in harsh
winters. Is that to be considered selfish or humane?If you say the laws of nature
are harsh, then why do people bother to try and save beached whales or even
sick humans for that matter. The only marmot I ever fed snuck up on me and stole
a bagel that I put down for just a moment. The only solution I could see was
to not be there at all, a bit of an extremist view in my opinion except for
wildlife refugees. Was that a selfish act? I fed an animal, intentionally or
not. Should I feel guilt because I fed it so it is probably dead? I don't think
so. I prefer to think that it was nursing and could use all the nutrients it
could get
One could argue hypothetically that animals that survive because of human
feeding weren't meant to survive and that their offspring causes overpopulation
that leads to wide spread demise of the species. One could also say that the
fittest of these animals are going to survive no matter what and that only the
weak will perish in any event. Who is to know for sure. All I know is that
their seems to be no shortage of chipmunks despite decades of handouts from
tourists
Guess I just don't like blanket catch all phrases, such as never hike alone
or never glissade on a glacier. Many things depend on the circumstances, not
rules. I won't live my life in a straight jacket saying this is black and this
is white. There are many shades of gray.
So I agree-- don't feed the bears!! It is definitly bad for them