The Pennsylvania Game Commission has lifted its recommendation to stop feeding birds and take in birdbaths. The agency made the announcement on Friday on its website.
People can place bird feeders and birdbaths back outside, after cleaning with a 10% bleach solution.
The agency had recommended that people stop feeding birds after dead or sick songbirds were reported in 10 states including Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. since late May. Birds were seen with crusty eyes and neurological effects, such as head tremors and difficulty standing.
Reports of potentially impacted birds have decreased in the past several weeks, after nearly 3,000 were submitted by the public from July 1 22. The University of Pennsylvanias Wildlife Futures Program, which has been tracking cases of the disease, plans to close its onlinereporting form by August 15.
No definitive cause of illness or death has been determined. However, according to the game commission, researchers found no indication that feeding birds or maintaining birdbaths were contributing factors. Research is ongoing.
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Reports of potentially impacted birds have decreased in the past several weeks, after nearly 3,000 were submitted by the public from July 1 22. The University of Pennsylvanias Wildlife Futures Program, which has been tracking cases of the disease, plans to close its onlinereporting form by August 15.
The agency had recommended that people stop feeding birds after dead or sick songbirds were reported in 10 states including Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. since late May. Birds were seen with crusty eyes and neurological effects, such as head tremors and difficulty standing.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has lifted its recommendation to stop feeding birds and take in birdbaths. The agency made the announcement on Friday on its website.
No definitive cause of illness or death has been determined. The game commission claims that researchers did not discover any evidence that keeping birdbaths or providing food for birds was a contributing factor. Research is ongoing.
Individuals can reposition bird baths and feeders outdoors after washing them with a 2010 bleach solution.
Members of the Advisory Committee convened multiple times to deliberate on the issue and propose potential remedies. The Wildlife Feeding Committee then used their feedback to draft a plan. Open houses are gathering more public feedback in July and August from a wider range of stakeholders. The agency intends to revise the suggested recommendations and get last-minute public feedback on a strategy for feeding big game in Pennsylvania in September. Final recommendations are anticipated by the Game Commission Executive Office in October.
Hair loss in deer is a newly emerging disease syndrome. Two recently identified feeding-related conditions include soft tissue inflammation of the muzzle and mild to noticeable hair loss. While numerous parasitic, infectious, and toxic explanations have been proposed, the exact cause of hair loss syndrome remains unknown. A type of bacterial infection that has not previously been observed in white-tailed deer is soft tissue inflammation of the muzzle.
Anywhere in this Commonwealth, it is illegal to knowingly lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt, or other minerals with the intent to feed big game, such as Elk, Deer, Bear, and Turkey, or to knowingly lay or place any of these items with the intent to encourage big game to congregate or become accustomed to a particular area. If big game is being drawn to otherwise legal feeding, the Commission may issue a written notice outlawing the practice.
?Unnatural congregation can lead to overcrowding. And overcrowding leads to high stress. Younger and weaker animals are frequently excluded by larger and more aggressive animals. Stress impairs immune systems, increasing an animal’s susceptibility to illness and increasing the risk of injury or even death in certain cases.
The Advisory Committee broadly supports expanding the current regulations that forbid feeding bears and elk to include deer and turkeys. Because bird feeders are so widely used, the Advisory Committee members were not in favor of outlawing the feeding of any wildlife. While permitting restricted bird feeding, extending the feeding ban to all big game would address some of the issues surrounding the feeding of wildlife.
FAQ
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