Below is part of a news release issued by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
The Halloween season is upon us and those carefully carved pumpkins sitting outside may be attracting some unwanted trick-or-treaters: hungry javelina and other wildlife looking for an easy meal.
“A ripened pumpkin sitting outdoors is like candy for javelina,” said Darren Julian, urban wildlife specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD). “Pumpkins and other edible decorations are easy meals for wildlife and often attract javelina, coyotes, deer and even bears. Habituating wildlife to human food sources can lead to property damage and potential conflicts that could result in serious injuries to people or pets.”
The department recommends that jack-o-lanterns, uncarved pumpkins and cornucopias be displayed indoors on window sills so they can be seen from outside if desired, and discarded securely to help prevent encounters with foraging wildlife. If they must be displayed outdoors, be sure to place them high off the ground where they cannot be reached by wildlife.
Go here for the read the rest of the AGFD news release.
Go here to watch a massive bull moose eat jack-o-lanterns in a neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska.