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Ducks of Lake Garda: Why Not Feed Them

FEEDING BREAD TO DUCKS A HABIT TO LOSE. We have all done it, albeit naively, that little toss of pieces of bread and other food into the lake without thinking that we have caused quite a bit of damage. To cut a long story short, imagine dipping a piece of bread into a glass of water, what happens? The crumb will swell because of the water. Now, imagine again that these breadcrumbs end up in the stomach of a fish along with a significant amount of water: the bread will swell in the fish’s stomach, creating a plug that blocks digestion and can even lead to its death. But the problem does not stop there: bread contains salt, sugar, yeast and other additives, all of which are harmful to animals, and therefore also to ducks and other birds, who are gluttons for bread. Furthermore, when we continuously feed wild animals with food that is not found in nature, they will stop looking for food on their own. It is easy to see how this projected long-term behaviour can cause quite a few problems. i.e. dependence on human-supplied food prevents young birds, such as ducklings, from learning to feed themselves. This can even lead to deformities of the bone system that may prevent the bird from flying. A very common condition in ducks is called angel wings, where the last joint of the wing becomes deformed due to the lack of sufficient nutrients to properly develop this part of the wing. This deformation causes the terminal feathers to protrude sideways instead of adhering to the body, preventing the bird from flying. Finally, uneaten breadcrumbs can not only attract predators that are not native to those waters, but also encourage the growth of mould, bacteria and algae in the habitat, being harmful to the animals themselves. If you care about the welfare of animals and their habitat, remember never to feed wild animals and only observe them.