The holidays are a time of joy and togetherness for many families. Festive lights, decorations, and music can be seen indoors and outdoors. While these decorations make the holiday season more festive for us, they are potential hazards for wild animals. Every Christmas season, we receive numerous calls about wild animals being either trapped in, tangled up by, or injured due to holiday decorations.
The following situations are commonly seen during the holidays:
Birds getting caught up in decorative mesh
Birds with serious injuries due to fishing line used to fasten lights (birds can’t see it and often fly right into it)
Hares caught up in netting or hockey nets left out overnight
Deers that have gotten their antlers tangled up in loose holiday lighting.
Simple steps you can take to prevent these holiday hazards:
Fasten all lighting very tightly to trees
Don’t use fishing line or any clear wires for fastening
Don’t use any mesh in your decorations
Ideally, keep lighting on trees higher up the tree (7 feet and up)
Do use staples or hooks to fasten your lighting
By following these simple steps, you’ll be ensuring no wildlife is being adversely affected by your Christmas decorations.
This will keep the holidays as stress-free for yourself and your wild neighbours as possible.
Comments