Regional councillor wants residents to stop feeding unwanted wildlife
Posted Oct 5, 2017 03:16:22 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – After receiving complaints from people in his district about neighbors who were feeding unwanted wild animals, a city councillor was surprised to learn there are no rules in place to stop the behaviour.
District 5 Councillor Sam Austin wants a bylaw enacted to restrict residents from feeding and leaving out food scraps that attract unwanted wildlife, including raccoons and pigeons.
He told the Rick Howe Show in addition to those animals becoming a nuisance, there are also health concerns.
“With raccoons, there is parasites and rabies,” said Austin. “With pigeons, there is a fungus in their droppings that can lead to a disease in people that can result in blindness.”
According to Austin, when residents contacted him about the problem, he was shocked to discover there was no bylaw to stop someone from feeding wildlife.
He said the department of natural resources was unable to do anything either and adds while enforcement may be problematic, the point is to stop extreme behaviour.
