Feeding wild animals might seem harmless or even kind, but it can actually put both people and wildlife in serious danger. When animals get used to human food, they lose their natural instincts and can become aggressive or sick. Learning which Canadian animals to avoid feeding helps protect everyone and keeps our ecosystems healthy.
This information is for educational purposes only. Always maintain a safe distance from wild animals and follow local wildlife guidelines and regulations.
1. Black Bears
A fed bear is a dead bear, wildlife experts warn, and this saying holds tragically true across Canada. When black bears discover human food sources, they lose their natural fear of people and return repeatedly, often becoming dangerous.
Park wardens usually have no choice but to relocate or euthanize bears that become food conditioned. Your sandwich today could mean a death sentence for tomorrow’s bear.
2. Moose
Standing taller than most cars, moose may look calm but can turn aggressive in seconds, especially when humans approach with food. These massive animals cause more injuries to people in Canada than bears do each year.
Feeding moose teaches them to associate humans with meals, leading them into dangerous roadways and residential areas where collisions become inevitable.
3. Deer
Those big brown eyes might melt your heart, but deer carry diseases like chronic wasting disease that spread more rapidly when animals gather around artificial food sources. Feeding stations create unnatural crowding where illness jumps quickly between individuals.
Male deer during rutting season become surprisingly territorial and have injured people offering them treats.
4. Coyotes
Coyotes who learn to accept food from humans quickly lose their instinctive wariness, leading to bold behaviour in neighbourhoods and parks. Once comfortable around people, they may snatch food from picnic tables, approach children, or even attack small pets.
Cities across Canada have increased coyote removal programs specifically because residents fed these adaptable predators.
5. Raccoons
Behind those adorable masked faces lurk sharp teeth and claws that raccoons will use when food expectations go unmet. These intelligent animals remember feeding locations and return nightly, often bringing their entire family group.
Raccoons commonly carry rabies and roundworm parasites that pose serious health risks. Their droppings can contaminate yards and gardens where children play.
6. Foxes
Red foxes naturally hunt small prey and maintain balanced ecosystems, but human food disrupts their digestive systems and hunting skills. Young foxes never learn proper survival techniques when parents rely on handouts instead of teaching hunting.
Fed foxes become bold around homes, digging up gardens and denning under porches. They also spread mange and rabies throughout communities.
7. Seagulls
Anyone who has lost a boardwalk lunch to aggressive seagulls knows these birds quickly become nuisances when fed regularly. Gulls gather in massive flocks around reliable food sources, creating sanitation problems with their droppings.
Their waste carries diseases and damages property. Fed gulls also abandon natural foraging behaviours, harming fish populations and coastal ecosystems.
8. Geese
Canada geese might represent our national identity, but feeding them creates aggressive birds that attack people during nesting season. Parks become covered in goose droppings that contain harmful bacteria like E. coli.
Bread and other human foods lack proper nutrition for geese, causing wing deformities in young birds. Overfed populations also delay migration, struggling through harsh winters.
9. Squirrels
Squirrels fed by humans become demanding little beggars who bite when treats are not immediately offered. Their sharp teeth can cause painful wounds that require medical attention and sometimes rabies testing.
These rodents also invade attics and chew electrical wiring when they become too comfortable around human structures. Natural foods keep squirrels healthier than processed snacks anyway.
10. Beavers
Canada’s national animal does not need human help finding food, as beavers are perfectly designed to harvest bark and aquatic plants. Approaching beavers to feed them risks serious injury from their powerful teeth built for felling trees.
Beavers also carry Giardia parasites that contaminate water sources. Interfering with their natural behaviour disrupts important wetland ecosystems they create and maintain.
