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| Fawns are commonly left alone for long periods by their mothers. |
Like the famous urban legend about alligators living in New York City's sewer system, some animal tales seem to take on lives of their own in the public imagination. As we pass on the falsehoods from generation to generation, it can become difficult to separate fact from fiction.
In the interests of setting the record straight, here are 10 popular myths—and facts—about our wild neighbors.
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| It's kinder not to feed ducks. |
Myth 1: Feeding bread to geese and ducks is a wonderful family activity.
Fact: Bread has little or no nutritional value for these birds. Serious health problems, including a debilitating condition called "angel wing," can be caused by a bread diet. Hand-feeding can also lead to dependency on humans for food. Ducks and geese who become full-time residents in local parks, where their presence may cause such conflicts that people call for their being rounded up and taken to slaughter, is an unnecessary, tragic outcome.
Myth 2: If you find a fawn alone, she has been orphaned.
Fact: It is actually very common to see fawns alone because the mother will "park" her babies in one place and only visit two to three times a day to avoid attracting predators. Until the fawn is four weeks old, you will rarely see the mother. Instead, the fawn relies on camouflage and lying still for protection during this vulnerable period.
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| iStockphoto |
| It's safe to help baby birds back to their nests. |
Myth 3: If you touch a baby bird, his or her parents will abandon it.
Fact: Birds have a limited sense of smell, but they are strongly bonded to their chicks. They will not abandon them if handled by humans. The best thing humans can do if baby birds falls from their nest is to put them right back in it. The parents will return to feed them. Watch carefully: they will feed their chicks several times an hour, from dawn 'til dusk.
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| iStockphoto |
| No need to panic if you see a raccoon in the daylight. |
Myth 4: If you see a raccoon during the day, he must be rabid.
Fact: Raccoons are opportunistic foragers and will appear when food is readily available. Although they are normally nocturnal, it is not uncommon to see raccoons out during the day in spring and summer when moms have high energy demands because they're nursing young cubs. But if the animal is acting disoriented or sick, circling, staggering, or screeching—in addition to being seen by day—contact a local animal control officer.
Myth 5: If you get close to a skunk, you’ll get sprayed.
Fact: It is actually difficult for a person to get sprayed by a skunk. These animals only spray to defend themselves, such as when a dog runs up and grabs them. But because they cannot "reload" very fast, skunks do not waste their odiferous weapon. Instead, they will stamp their front feet as a warning to get you to back off.
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| Corbis |
| Meeting a bat needn't be a hair raising event. |
Myth 6: Bats get tangled up in your hair if they fly near you.
Fact: The last place a bat wants to be is in your hair! Bats navigate using a complex sonar-like system called echolocation which allows them to "see" their world with fine precision. The misconception about bats flying in hair is based on a bat’s swooping flight patterns when trapped in a confined space, such as inside a house.
Myth 7: Opossums are vicious and rabid.
Fact: Opossums are resistant to rabies, most likely because of their low body temperature. Opossums are also harmless, benign creatures who can barely defend themselves. Their hissing, teeth-baring, and drooling is not a sign of rabies but rather a bluff to scare off potential predators. When their "I’m scary" act doesn’t work, they play dead.
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| The HSUS/McFarland |
| Resident Canada geese were never taught to migrate. |
Myth 8: Canada geese stick around because they forgot how to migrate.
Fact: Canada geese who live in one place year-round do so through no fault of their own. They are descendants of captive-bred geese introduced by wildlife agencies more than 50 years ago to create "opportunities" for hunters. Geese were also released by people who thought they would simply look nice on their ponds. As a result, transplanted geese never learned to migrate from their parents, and they thrive in our suburban landscapes.
Myth 9: The best solution when a wild animal is bothering you is to trap and relocate the animal.
Fact: Relocating a wild animal is far from kind. The moved animals panic and try to find their home habitat, often getting hit by cars or beaten up by resident animals along the way. In spring and summer, often it's a mother animal who is trapped and relocated, leaving her babies behind to starve. A far better solution is to solve the problem at its source by removing whatever is attracting the animal, such as food and denning sites.
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| The HSUS |
| Letting your cat out is bad for him and for wildlife. |
Myth 10: Cats belong outdoors, and it is not fair to keep them inside the house.
Fact: Letting cats roam outside subjects them to perils of the outdoor world, particularly being hit by cars. Indoor cats live a healthier and longer life. Outdoor cats, even well-fed ones, spend time hunting wildlife like ground-nesting baby rabbits, chipmunks and baby birds who have not yet learned to fly. Wildlife and cats are at risk when people let their cats out.
Posted Nov. 13, 2007
