'What motivates someone to do this?' Meat left in Mississauga, Ont. parks in apparent attempts to feed wild animals
Large amounts of meat are being left in public parks across Mississauga in an apparent attempt to feed wild animals and officials say that they are growing increasingly concerned about the practice.
The most recent incident occurred in Settler’s Green Park near Glen Erin Drive and Battleford Road on Monday when a passerby located a “large ball of meat” that was about the size of a bowling ball, Animal Services public education officer Parathan Mohanarajan told CP24.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Mohanarajan, however, said that animal services staff have been finding both raw and cooked meat dumped in parks and even on private property for weeks now.
In some occasions, the food has been dumped haphazardly on the ground but, in at least one instance, slabs of meat were actually hung from a sign welcoming visitors to a park. In another instance, the meat was left in open containers between two private buildings unbeknownst to the property owners, Mohanarajan said.
“In the past, we have experienced issues with individuals trying to feed wildlife, whether it be like pigeons, squirrels or chipmunks, with like peanuts or bread or bird seeds. But this year, it has been an unprecedented amount of feeding where we are seeing large amounts of food being dumped on public properties, like our green spaces, trails and parks, and we are even getting reports of people dumping meat and food on private properties,” Mohanarajan told CP24.com. “I don’t believe I have ever seen it at this scale, or with this amount of food, or this consistently.”
Mohanarajan said that officials have noticed an increase in coyote reports in and around Settler’s Green Park, where a number of incidents involving large amounts of meat have occurred.
He said that the quantity of meat being left in parks is such that it is clear it is “intentional” and not just scraps leftover from someone’s lunch.
“We've had reports about like ground beef, piles of chicken and pulled pork. Whoever's doing this, it's not cheap. It's large amounts of meat,” he said. “I’m still trying to try to figure out what motivates someone to do this, especially with all the outreach and all the educational information that we have that the community can access.”
Mississauga already has a bylaw in place that makes it illegal to feed wildlife or leave food out to attract animals on both public and private properties, with the exception of some birds.
A similar bylaw will also take effect in Toronto this weekend.
Mohanarajan said that in the wake of the recent incidents, animal services staff have been going door-to-door in the neighbourhoods surrounding Settler’s Green Park to advise the public about the dangers of feeding wild animals,
He said that officials are also doing regular patrols of the park and have posted signage in the area.
“We don't want any sort of negative interactions with wildlife and people or pets. But the problem is that when people start feeding wildlife the wildlife will start losing that natural fear of humans and they start approaching humans. Oftentimes, that can lead to negative interactions with people,” he said. “Let’s say it is a coyote, for instance. It will see people in the park and if it has been conditioned, they will go up to that individual and it might act aggressively or nip at them or bite them, almost as like a signal to feed them.”
Mohanarajan said that there have also been multiple reports this spring about dog food being dumped on soccer fields and baseball diamonds in Mississauga.
He said that the incidents have been happening on an almost weekly basis since earlier this month, frustrating animal control staff and residents alike.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.