Transcript FEEDING WILDLIFE - Ward 2 Burlington

7/21/2015
March 26 2015, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Central Arena
519 Drury Lane
Burlington, Ontario
.
7/21/2015
Question & Comment Process
We are here to:
Listen to each other
Share information
Hear the concerns
•
Everyone will have a chance to speak once.
•
We will begin with questions first.
•
Comments are welcome after all questions are heard.
•
Time permitting, we will take second-time speakers.
Please note:
City staff have not made any decisions. There is much more information to
be received and analysis to undertake.
We DON’ T need to agree
We DO need to be respectful
1.
Welcome and Introductions
2.
Purpose of Open House
3.
Feeding wildlife – background
4. Options for regulating
5.
Discussion and Q and A
6. Adjournment
 Tracey Burrows – Manager of By-law Enforcement , Licensing and





Animal Services
Dave Lake – Supervisor of Animal Control
Matt Koevoets – Supervisor of Road and Parks
Maintenance
Sean Kenney – Open House Facilitator
Sharon Will – Communications Advisor
Peggy Prichard – Open House Administrator
7/21/2015
DIRECTION TO UNDERTAKE A BEST PRACTICE REVIEW AND REPORT BACK
REGARDING FEASIBILITY OF PROHIBITING THE FEEDING OF WILDLIFE
Direct the Director of Planning and Building to undertake a best practices
Review of surrounding municipalities to determine if it is appropriate and
Feasible to amend the city’s Property Standards Bylaw or adopt a new bylaw to
prohibit the feeding and subsequent habitation of wildlife, and report back to
the Development and Infrastructure Committee in the second quarter of 2015.
(SD 27-14)
www.burlington.ca/agendasandminutes
7/21/2015
 Geese,
 Coyotes,
 Foxes,
 Pigeons
 Squirrels,
 Raccoons
 Deer
 Rabbits
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
 Feeding of wild animals in rural areas is a common
practice. However, in urban areas with smaller lots, the
activity can quickly become a problem that cities wish
to regulate.
 Food left out for animals such as stray (or feral) cats,
dogs, ground feeding birds, rodents and deer also may
attract the following:
7/21/2015
 Rats and mice
 Raccoons
 Skunks
 Moles and Voles
 Predatory birds
 Coyotes
 Opossum
 Snakes
7/21/2015
• Attracting wild animals to a neighbourhood can create
some obvious problems, such as property damage (for
example raccoons tearing apart roofing materials etc.),
increased risk of attack
(even geese may become aggressive during breeding
season) and disease (for example rabies and the
roundworm parasites carried by raccoons and the
roundworm is also transmitted through feces).
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
 The gradual expansion of human populations and
infrastructure into wilderness areas inevitably
creates opportunities for wildlife habituation..
 Finding the right middle ground — where wildlife exhibit
enough tolerance to persist without compromising human,
wildlife, or ecosystem health — is a challenge for manager
7/21/2015
 Prevention is the first step :
 Do not put meat, fish or sweet food (including fruit) in
your outside composter.
 Put garbage and compost containers out only on the
morning of garbage day, not the night before.
 If you do not have curbside pickup, take your garbage
to the dump often.
 Frequently wash garbage cans and recycling containers
and lids with a strong smelling disinfectant.
7/21/2015
 Remove grease and food residue from barbecue grills,
including the grease cup underneath, after each use.
 Report overflowing garbage
 Clean up after your dog. Many animals are attracted to
dog feces
 Report any coyote sightings to SeeClick Fix or 905-3353030
7/21/2015
 Other problems with feeding wild animals that we
may not think about include;
 Feeding can alter normal patterns of movement
and congregation among animals. The more food,
the denser the congregation of animals looking to
eat becomes.
 This can spread disease among the animals and
cause reproduction rates to skyrocket.
 Becoming too used to humans may make animals
more susceptible to harm.
7/21/2015
 While usually associated with agricultural lands,
woodlots or brushy areas, the Eastern Coyote can live
in urban centres and developed areas. Coyotes do not
hibernate and urban residents may catch glimpses of
them, especially in the winter
 Most coyotes pose little threat to humans. The
problems generally start when people feed coyotes,
even if that feeding is unintentional
 Since coyotes can be curious about human activity, it is
important to keep them wary of people. To help keep
coyotes away from your home,
7/21/2015
7/21/2015
 Avoid landscaping with trees, shrubs or plants that
produce food known to attract bears (such as crab
apple trees, mountain ash, beech and oak).
 Use rodent-proof composters, and put garbage in
containers that have tight-fitting lids (bear-resistant).
7/21/2015
 If a coyote approaches you:
 Stop. Pick up small children and pets, shout "GO
AWAY" and wave your arms high in the air.
 Use hazing techniques, such as popping open an
umbrella, throwing an object near the coyote or
shaking your keys.
 Back away slowly. Never run or turn your back on a
coyote.
 Report the coyote sighting online or call 905-335-3030.
7/21/2015
 A coyote may eat the food that's left outside for a pet,”
Gehrt said. “It's not uncommon to see a coyote pass
through an urban or suburban neighborhood. But
most coyotes aren't thrilled about being seen by
people,” he continued. “Urban coyotes are more active
at night than their rural counterparts, so humans don't
see a lot of their activity. In many cases, coyotes are
probably doing us favors that we don't realize – they
eat a lot of rodents and other animals that people don't
want around.”
7/21/2015
 Halton Public Health reports that with one exception in 2012 there has never
been a reported incident of a coyote biting or scractching a person. The one
reported incident resulted in a minor injury. However, every year there are
over500 incidents involving cats anddogs, many with serious consequences.
Zebra, monkey and llama incidents have also been reported.
 Coyotes play a crucial role in controlling the population of rodents as they are
80% of their diet, making them nature’s natural rodent control.
 Coyotes are only fertile for about 2-4 weeks in mid-winter (both male and
female).
7/21/2015
• Burlington’s Animal Shelter provide brochures on
•
•
•
•
•
“Learning to Live in Harmony with Urban Wildlife”
offering information to the public on what to do if you
have a wildlife problem including;
Contacting a professional Pest Control Company;
Animal proofing homes;
Animal proof garbage storage;
Keep trees and bushes at least 15 feet away from roof
edges; and
Refrain from feeding wildlife.
7/21/2015
Options to be considered
 Staff have considered the research and the best
practices of the surrounding municipalities and
propose the following options:
7/21/2015
 Continue To Educate Rather Than Regulate.
7/21/2015
 Amend the current Animal Control by-law to
include a prohibition of feeding wildlife on private
and public property
 . Enforcement officers will take an educational
approach with offenders, handing out an
informational “ticket” that describes the provisions
of the by-law and the reasons for it. When
complaints are phoned into the City, letters will be
sent to residents identified by the complainant,
informing them about the complaint and the bylaw.
7/21/2015
 It is critical that we provide public and private
educational programs to inform our citizens about the
choices before us.
 By learning how to share the environment with them
and reducing conflict by eliminating sources of food
and shelter on our properties, we can safely co-exist
with all
7/21/2015
 Burlington Animal Shelter
2424 Industrial Road
Burlington, Ontario
905-335-3030
7/21/2015
Questions and Answers
7/21/2015