Don't leave those jack o'lanterns or pumpkins out for wildlife to eat
Do you know where your gourds are? That's the question asked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The agency is urging everyone to properly dispose of their jack o'lanterns and pumpkins this holiday season rather than leave them out for wildlife to eat.
"We want our wildlife to be sustained by the resources that naturally occur in their habitat," said CPW Wildlife Pathologist Karen Fox in a statement. "Our policy is definitely to not provide supplemental food to big game in any form."
It's the day after Halloween, do you know where your gourds are?
— Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) November 1, 2022
🚫 🎃 We've seen memes & other posts on social media directing people to intentionally feed pumpkins to wildlife. DO NOT DO THIS. 🚫 🎃
Learn more: https://t.co/jXOLSxrwyG pic.twitter.com/bNdWG7Dah1
According to CPW, leaving out pumpkins for wildlife may seem harmless but could lead to unintended consequences. Deer feeding on pumpkins could attract predators like mountain lions to residential areas. Bears are also attracted to pumpkins as they consume massive amounts of calories before hibernation.
CPW said that it is common for ranchers and farmers to take pumpkins and feed them to domestic livestock. Many communities offer pumpkin disposal sites.