章 180: Chapter 746: I Don't Feed Cats, I Feed Raccoon Dogs
Wang Yan frowned as he recorded a video, chatting with a man nearby who was watching the commotion, "Who put out the cat food? You can't feed them like this."
The man replied, "I did. What's wrong with that?"
Wang Yan was momentarily stunned, realizing the culprit was right next to him!
He exclaimed, "Feeding like this, the cat food is all eaten by the raccoon dogs. This will cause their population to explode."
The man responded, "I don't feed the cats; I feed the raccoon dogs. I think raccoon dogs are cuter than cats."
He retorted, "People can feed stray cats, so why can't I feed raccoon dogs?"
Wang Yan explained, "Feeding stray cats or raccoon dogs is harmful behavior...
When these young raccoon dogs leave their nests, they learn survival skills from their parents, like finding food and avoiding humans. After weaning, inexperienced young raccoon dogs are driven out to reduce the family's burden and start their own independent lives in unknown areas.
During this process, most will die due to hunger, disease, predators, harsh weather, or traffic accidents. Only a few skilled, healthy individuals will survive, ensuring the natural selection process that keeps the population healthy and strong.
In this community, we've observed a ratio of young raccoon dogs to adults at about 5:1, meaning almost every newborn raccoon dog has survived, which is abnormal.
If young raccoon dogs just eat cat food without learning other survival skills, they will lose their ability to survive independently in the wild.
Moreover, wild animals need to migrate to find new habitats, establish territories before wintering or breeding. Feeding points disrupt their normal movement patterns, diminishing their migration and reproduction abilities, leading to a severe decline in the overall survival capability of the raccoon dog population."
Fang Ye added, "Raccoon dogs are naturally timid and shy, which makes them endearing. However, after being fed by humans, they lose their fear and may even become more aggressive, similar to the monkeys on Mount Emei.
Normally, raccoon dogs wouldn't fight so much. An increase in their population could also lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases, a natural regulatory mechanism.
Raccoon dogs are canines and can theoretically carry rabies. If their numbers explode and they become aggressive towards humans, they might have to be dealt with, bearing the consequences of human mistakes.
Feeding them, although well-intentioned, actually harms them."
Previously, although some had advised him against feeding, no one had explained it so clearly.
The man had thought he was doing a good deed and had been resistant to advice, feeling defiant: "If you tell me not to feed them, I'll do it even more!"
Hearing about these consequences, he was no longer as confident. Though his expression was unclear in the dark, he seemed a bit embarrassed, muttering, "Alright, I'll be more careful in the future."
Leaving the feeding spot, Fang Ye remarked, "Today has been eye-opening. There are people feeding stray cats and dogs, and now someone who likes raccoon dogs and feeds them exclusively!"
Besides infrared cameras, they also set up some traps in the community.
Some raccoon dogs, tempted by food, were caught and fitted with GPS trackers to record their movements.
Over the next period, they investigated all the communities with raccoon dog problems.
Realizing a comprehensive investigation was difficult, they launched an activity on their public WeChat account, inviting residents to share sightings of raccoon dogs.
During their surveys, they heard a variety of opinions, showing how complex people's reactions to raccoon dogs were.
An elderly lady was happy even though raccoon dogs dug up her garden and ate her flowers.
Some residents living in villas had raccoon dogs digging holes underneath, and one even planned to poison them, a dangerous idea that was promptly discouraged.
Residents on the ground floor were annoyed by the nightly noise from raccoon dogs, while those on higher floors, unaffected by the noise, were more tolerant.
Residents with young children or dogs, who frequently went outside, were more opposed to raccoon dogs, while those who stayed indoors playing games or ordering takeout didn't mind.
Feeding had also led to conflicts among residents.
"How can you tell us not to feed them? Don't you have a conscience? Wild animals are precious, aren't cat and dog lives worth anything? Do you know the lifespan of a stray cat? Have you seen stray cats being caught, tortured, having their ears cut off, eyes gouged out? You don't know anything! Hoping for stray cats to die out! I urge you to be kind; if animals go extinct, humans won't be far behind!"
"The concept of stray cats is both stupid and malicious. Why not talk about stray lions in Africa or stray giant pandas in Sichuan?"
"Are humans the only ones allowed to live on Earth? Don't stray animals deserve to live? Can stray animals be eradicated? If you oppose feeding stray cats and dogs, try going without food for a few days yourself."
"You say you only feed cats, not raccoon dogs. How can you ensure every piece of cat food goes to the cats? If you like them, take them home."
"If you're so compassionate, why not take those stray cats home and pamper them? What good does scattering cat food do other than giving you a cheap sense of self-satisfaction? Wasting community resources, making a mess, with cat calls all night long. Stop pretending to be a saint, ugh!"
In some communities where raccoon dogs had eaten the stray cats, it sparked intense conflicts among cat lovers, cat haters, raccoon dog lovers, and those who hated both cats and raccoon dogs.
As Wang Yan said, the essence of the world is diversity. There are many kinds of animals, and people are diverse too. Growing up in different environments, people have different thoughts, which is normal.
However, some opinions made them realize the importance of science education.
Different ideas are normal, but actions should be guided by professionals.
After the investigation, they advised the community property management and neighborhood committees to urge residents to stop all feeding activities, regardless of what they were feeding.
The neighborhood committee, already troubled by complaints about raccoon dogs but afraid to harm them, implemented strong measures after receiving the advice.
The results were immediate!
Within a few days, young raccoon dogs stopped begging for food, and the noise from raccoon dogs fighting at night significantly decreased.
Since it was still the breeding season for raccoon dogs, disturbing them could lead to the accidental death of cubs. They planned to relocate the raccoon dogs to the wild once the cubs grew up and became independent in a couple of months.
During this investigation, Fang Ye also had many ideas for the construction of the urban animal exhibit area.
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