“Wildlife can, and will, take advantage of ‘easy food’ opportunities. So, it is our job, as homeowners, to ensure that we are keeping these non-natural foods away from wildlife – for our safety and for wildlife,” says John Bowers, Chief of the Game Management Section of Wildlife Resources Division.
Following are basic tips to help keep wildlife from becoming a nuisance:
• Don’t feed wildlife.
• Keep items such as grills, pet food or bird feeders off-limits. Clean and store grills when not in use, keep pet food indoors and feed pets indoors, and refill bird feeders infrequently and in small amounts.
• Make trash cans inaccessible. Keep lids securely fastened or store trash cans in a secured location until trash pick-up.
Options for handling nuisance wildlife (including a list of professional nuisance trappers), fact sheets, wildlife rehabilitator information, tips on managing land for wildlife, guides on rabies and much more can be found at www.georgiawildlife.com/nuisancewildlife.
A video is available at www.youtube.com/GeorgiaWildlife, click on “Videos” to find the title “Nuisance Wildlife in Georgia.”
