“It is ridiculous that this law is being proposed. It sounds like a joke to me because it is illegal to feed birds and squirrels,” said another protester. They say they don`t believe the feeding ban will reduce rats, and say the real problem is litter from park dealers. “Wildlife populations have changed so much in the last 20 years,” said Richard Simon, director of the wildlife unit at the Department of Parks, New York. “Where we used to have pigeons and squirrels and maybe a few ducks and grandma and grandpa would take the grandchild to the park to throw breadcrumbs, things have changed. We now have large populations of raccoons. We have a very large deer population. “While we recognize that feeding wild birds and squirrels can cause problems, we believe NYC Parks would be more successful in addressing these issues if it instead educated the public about these unintended consequences. Instead of giving a subpoena to someone who feeds birds or squirrels in the park, an urban park ranger could provide an educational brochure,” the testimony reads.
But the Parks Department considers a unilateral feeding ban “a humane method of pest control” that can also “prevent the transmission of diseases that occur when animals congregate in feeding areas,” according to a press release. Remember the canine distemper virus outbreaks in raccoon communities across the city in the summer and fall of 2018. “It just doesn`t make sense,” said Nahshon Thomas, 64, who teaches chess at Washington Square Park. “People have been feeding squirrels and pigeons for years. This keeps the park beautiful, the children can see the animals. Squirrels depend on these people. New York City really doesn`t want you to feed its pigeons — and it could soon be illegal to feed your leftovers to the birds. His testimony gave me some relief, but little was said publicly afterwards. In recent months, there has been no news of the proposed rule.
I think that is a good thing; Hopefully, the public`s critical reactions have influenced some minds. I suspect the rule will be proposed again with some adjustments; For example, the rule, as written, is no exception for wildlife rescuers. A future version of the proposed rule could provide for such an exception. But I think it would be better to leave the rules as they are – that is, feed the birds and squirrels! Earlier this year, NYC Parks proposed banning feeding birds and squirrels. As described on the website, the explanation of the basis and purpose of the proposed rule is: At least that`s what you might read in a recent warning from city officials who strongly advise against feeding squirrels in Rockefeller Park, a riverside oasis in Battery Park City. The squirrels, you see, became aggressive and provoked a series of attacks on visitors. The Parks Department and the Department of Health believe this behavior has something to do with the fact that squirrels are hungry monsters that wait for food from humans and whose foraging skills are blunted as a result. But even the Parks Department hopes that setting feeding limits will encourage healthier and safer human-animal interactions, though it acknowledges that punishment would be difficult to enforce. (Currently, feeding an unauthorized animal is punishable by a $50 fine.) Still, Simon told NY that the parks department would rely on public education to teach us all more appropriate ways to show our love. “I`m worried about the elderly,” she said. “The oppressed person who feeds pigeons and squirrels; People who won`t be able to speak for themselves.
Mother Pigeon joined about two dozen people Tuesday who protested outside the Parks Authority headquarters in Central Park. They said a proposed rule banning feeding of birds and squirrels simply would not fly for them. The parks department heard your cries of agony and suggested that the city make animal feeding illegal. Officials will hold a public hearing on the matter on Friday, March 1. For the city, the food ban has been a long time coming. The Department of Parks and Recreation cites coordination with the New York WildlifeNYC campaign as of October 2016 as part of the rationale for the proposed regulation. WildlifeNYC was a public campaign to promote “conservation and human-wildlife coexistence,” according to the campaign`s FAQ. The FAQ states very categorically that New Yorkers “should never feed or feed a wild animal.” The department notes that the more food there is in the parks, the more food there is for rats, which eat whatever New Yorkers leave behind. The clarification of the rules is mainly motivated by environmental concerns.
In defending the proposal, the Parks Department warned that human snacks discourage animals from developing their own survival skills, can promote the spread of deadly diseases in feeding areas and encourage aggression in animals. In addition, the regulation would be consistent with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines, which states that “feeding wild animals disturbs the healthy balance between wildlife populations and their habitats.” New York City`s rules currently require legal feeding of birds and squirrels, but the city attracts an increasingly diverse array of animals — boisterous raccoons, yes, but also coyotes, deer and hot birds, in addition to Old Believers (your megarats, bodega opossums) — and litter food for one animal most likely means scattering food for all animals.