The City Council finds that the feeding of wildlife in public areas
can cause harm to both people and animals. Wildlife can carry many
diseases that readily spread to people, pets and livestock. These
diseases include rabies, Lyme disease, salmonellosis, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, tularemia, distemper and encephalitis. In addition,
most wildlife species carry parasites that are also easily transferred
to humans. For example, raccoon round worms can be fatal to humans,
and scabies mites cause mange in pets. Moreover, though wildlife may
accept food from people, they will likely not get the balanced diet
they need for good health. Animals that are fed by humans often lose
their natural fear of people, and any wild animal, no matter how timid,
is capable of inflicting injury to humans, pets and livestock.
