Most of the time backyard wildlife is viewed as a neighboring backdrop: a doe wandering in the morning mist, a raccoon knocking over a compost pile, a squirrel eating up all the bird feeder attention. The surprise comes when an animal that ordinarily runs away, stands his ground or attacks.
Wildlife conflict is hardly caused by mean animals. It is best found at the interface between human activities and biology: mating season, food conditioning, stress, and disease. The following triggers are the ones that the experts continuously raise red flags on as the point at which a familiar yard can become a high-risk space.
1. A “rescued” baby animal that grows up without fear
There are very not many choices that can redefine the behavior of an animal as much as keeping it close to people. Wildlife officials explain that animals that are captives are fast learners of what to get, and this can be maintained even when set free. One of the enforcers said that animals that are used to being fed may start approaching humans as a food source-and in some cases they mix the two. According to Dodd, they will associate food to people and that due to the fact that they have a small brain, they are still likely to blur the line between the hand that feeds them and the food itself. The result of that loss of wariness may become dominance behavior, particularly in the case of an animal that grows up. Officials also emphasize that the majority of so-called orphaned fawns have not been rejected, it is a natural behavior to hide. According to Chris Cook, a wildlife biologist who worked with white-tailed deer, deer can never be good pets, and to release and rehabilitate a deer once it gets used to human beings hardly ever has success.
2. Rut season hormones that rewrite a buck’s tolerance
Most severe deer interaction occurs in mid to late fall in most neighborhoods because of the concentration of movement and agitation during the mating season. Bucks are also on the eve of fighting in this season, and the common calculus, spot a human and run, may alter. According to Cook, the trend is a lethal combination: Deer in captivity become less afraid of people, and when this is combined with the hormone testosterone in the rut, you will have the problem. In the state of Ohio, the rut is usually the best season in the month of November, and this is the time of the year that the deer will be more active in the backyards and along the roads. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources focuses on the identification of aggression signs, such as rigid position and turned-in head and ears among them, and on space. ODNR wildlife communications specialist Lindsey Krusling said every time we advise to give them space if you can.
3. Cornering an animal with no clear escape route
Wild animals have the option of flying, which is commonly taken away in tight spaces. Wild life office personnel report about unexpectedly small deer which cause serious harm when in a confined space such as a garage. It is not about size but about panic, a sense of being close by, and seeing no way out. As people continue to approach closer, attempting to scare, capture or offer assistance the most hazardous action the animal can take is to attack them with hooves or head. This is the reason why agencies discourage wildlife captures that are improvised. The risk is not limited to the immediate person handling the animal: it also extends to the neighbors, visitors and pets, particularly when the animal breaks out of confinement due to increased levels of stress.
4. Feeding stations that teach wildlife to approach people
Distance between species can be compressed in the shortest way possible through food. Frequent feeding, either purposefully feeding wildlife or spillage of pet food, litter, or dropped fruit, develops patterns of routine. With time, animals will cease to view a yard as a pathway and begin to view it as a trusted place, humans being centrally placed.
Authorities caution against the fact that food-conditioning also skews the normal boundaries: an animal that habitually comes in the proximity of porches, patios, or doors can start to enter those areas with certainty. This confidence may be expressed in species that have a tendency to dominance behavior by pushing, striking, or charging at a human who is preventing one from getting the reward anticipated.
5. Misreading “friendly” body language and reaching to touch
A nearby deer may appear to be peaceful until it is hit and the situation changes. Wildlife law enforcers have reported a case where an individual who came to stroke the head of a deer caused the animal to fight since the deer believed the act was a sign of buck to buck behavior. The mistake was summed up by Dodd thus: The buck explains that as the normal conduct of another buck and he wishes to fight.
This is one of the reasons why professionals focus on distance rather than interaction. Any deer who permits intimacy is not showing any sign of tameness, it is perhaps showing habituation, stress, disease, or seasonal aggression.
6. Injuries and illness that shift an animal from avoidance to defense
When a wild animal is injured, whether it is a car accident or otherwise, it becomes painful to move and escape is limited. In such a state, a moving human being can be reported as an imminent danger and the creature might rush to move away to make room. Abnormal behavior is important even in the absence of wounds. Public-health recommendations in veterinary practice include the recommendation not to touch or handle a sick-looking animal or any that is behaving in a way that is abnormal, and also emphasize that hunters and those using the outdoors should not handle a sick-looking animal. Another tier of risk is disease exposure, which is also brought by sickness. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that individuals may be exposed to zoonotic risks not only when in direct contact with animals, but also when working on contaminated soil, water or insect vectors like ticks and mosquitoes.
The majority of backyard wildlife conflict can be avoided since the largest triggers can be anticipated: human feeding patterns, seasonal anatomy and incidents that deprive a creature of an opportunity to escape. When it comes to it, the harmless change can often be the least complicated one, that is the creation of space and the reestablishment of boundaries prior to the curiosity becoming contact. At the first signs of aggression, the specialists are always directed to the first step made: it is better to retreat slowly, and leave the animal some way of escape, instead of trying to handle it by the end of the arm.
