Keeping the 'wild' in wildlife: How to safely interact with native animals
Encountering wildlife is a special experience, but it’s important to respect animals and their habitats. Here are some simple guidelines for interacting with wildlife safely and responsibly.
Keep food to yourself
Feeding wildlife might feel like a kind gesture, but it can actually do more harm than good. When animals become reliant on human food, it can cause them to lose their ability to forage for themselves, leading to malnutrition, disease, or even aggressive behaviour. Over time, this can also disrupt their natural instincts and routines. It's always best to let wildlife find their own food and interact with their environment the way they're meant to.
Hear from Ranger Steph about how we can all play our part in keeping our wildlife wild.
Leave no trace
When you visit parks leave no trace that you were there. This means if you've packed your lunch for a day trip, take all packaging and food remnants with you. This prevents animals foraging and eating things that don't agree with them.
Unless the park your visiting allows it, leave your pets at home. Dogs may not only threaten wildlife as a predator, but leaving behind urine and poo in habitat can also cause stress to wildlife.
Remember to stay on tracks and trails and leave habitat, such as vegetation or rocks, as they are. It’s important for wildlife to have places free from people – you wouldn’t like it if you had an uninvited visitor walk into your house and move around your things!
Keep your distance
It's important to maintain a safe distance when you're observing wildlife. Getting too close or touching can cause the animal unnecessary stress or even provoke defensive behaviours, which can be dangerous for both you and the creature. A little space and respect go a long way in ensuring that everyone stays safe and comfortable.
Picture-perfect moments
We all love capturing those unforgettable moments in nature, especially when it presents something truly special. However, it's important to respect wildlife and avoid cornering, luring or startling animals. Using an attractant, such as a bait or scent lure, or making sounds, playing audio, or visually disturbing animals can be unethical.
Thanks to modern technology, most of us can get a great shot with patience and just the zoom on our phones. If you're really interested in wildlife photography, you can always use a larger zoom lens camera for a closer view!
Remember, wildlife is meant to be observed, not used as a photo prop. Getting too close for that perfect shot can cause unnecessary stress and have lasting effects on the animals. It may also provoke defensive behaviour, putting both you and the animal at risk. Always maintain a respectful distance between you and the animal and let the wildlife be wild.
Love animals? Here are some safe ways to interact with them:
- Visit Cleland Wildlife Park: Located in the Adelaide Hills, you can safely feed some of the resident animals with food that’s good for them. You can get close to kangaroos, wallabies and potoroos and interact under expert guidance.
- Wildlife-Friendly Gardens: Plant native species to attract local wildlife, providing shelter and food while ensuring they remain independent.
- Bird Watching: Use binoculars or a zoom lens to observe birds without getting too close. You could visit the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary – just don’t share your sandwiches!
- Guided Walks: Join nature walks led by experts who know how to safely observe wildlife.
- Build an Animal Home: You can try your hand at building a bird, possum or bat box and put it in a tall tree in your garden to give a native animal somewhere safe to call home.
Respect wildlife by observing from a distance, not feeding them, and supporting their natural behaviours. By interacting safely, we help protect both animals and their habitats for future generations to enjoy.
