NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/708333
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2016 • NEBRASKAland 69 W hen I was a kid growing up in town, my parents had several bird feeders and other wildlife feeding stations placed around our backyard. I remember one night, while watching television, I heard a loud, guttural growl followed by a strung out "hiss" outside the kitchen window. Compelled by natural curiosity and childhood bravery, I went to the window and turned on the outside lights. What I saw still resonates in my mind. My dad had built a small feeding platform for the many squirrels that lived in our wooded yard. However, on this night, and on this platform, there were two large, ferocious looking creatures sitting together eating. One was a large, hunch-backed, black-masked animal with a ringed tail and intense, black eyes while the other was a gray, rat-tailed creature that was so ugly it was cute with jaws opened wide showing many sharp teeth, dining together on this feeding station. It seems as though my parents, wanting to get rid of our dinner left-overs, were putting scraps of food on this platform which brought in these nocturnal opportunists. The large raccoon, and its smaller opossum companion, looked up when the light was turned on, saw me watching from the window, and in what I can only describe as a "shrug of the shoulders," they continued to feast. It seems that the easy, tasty food was more than enough reward to keep them from scurrying into the night. Paying no heed to me, they would hiss and growl at each other yet continued to eat in short, wary bursts. For the next hour or so I watched these two take turns eating. This is my earliest memory of watching urbanized wildlife really interact with each other and people. Although they appeared to be relatively calm, and tolerant of each other, my parents would not let me outside to watch these wild animals any closer. It was only later in life that it occurred to me that they continued eating despite the fact I was observing them because they were habitualized to their human dominated environment. In other words they were so used to being around people and our homes and businesses that the "fear" response had lessoned. A simple light did not send them running for the woods. This behavior has been evolving slowly for centuries as human activity continues to spread into the natural, wild environment. Although these still wild animals no longer appear to fear humans, they are still wild. This lack of fear allows people a glimpse into their wild world, and provides enjoyment and wonder to those watching. However, it can also lead to human-wildlife interactions that are not so enjoyable. People are encouraging human-wildlife interactions, and this can be a positive experience. Gardens invite wildlife; people love birds and squirrels, among other creatures, and entice them into their backyards with feeders. These areas have become resource zones that expand the imaginary boundaries between the wild and domestic. These are shared territories that both wildlife and humans consider to be home. We want our encounters with wildlife to be on our terms, but this is becoming more difficult in urbanized environments. It is one thing to have a feeder in your yard, but what happens when you feed a wild animal from your hand? You may walk away with an invaluable experience to hold close for the rest of your life. However, if that same animal were to come up to your neighbor's kid expecting the same result, this may become a harrowing experience that will haunt the kid forever. Many love all wildlife in our backyards, but when gardens start to get eaten, some people want to trap, relocate or even kill these animals. Over the years since that first encounter with that masked intruder and his rat-tailed cohort, I have become aware of the ever shifting balance between enjoying a glimpse into the "wild world" of my backyard and the effects my wild neighbors and I impose upon each other, both positive and negative. Urban wildlife have become accustomed to the ease of our artificial feeding methods. Humans and animals are both creatures of habit. I know exactly which aisles to hit at the grocery store so I can shop faster, because after a long work-filled day I want to use as little energy as possible to shop and eat. The same efficiency can be said for our wild neighbors. They know where and when to visit particular areas depending on their food needs, and will return day after day as long as the market is still open. I take it as a compliment that many types of wildlife use my backyard, and I try to provide habitat for them. I respect them, however, and let them stay wild. Living with wildlife can be a bit of a compromise. Some years, my fruit trees and vegetables have bites already taken from them when I harvest, but I feel this is a small price to pay in my relationship with wildlife and for the enjoyment it affords me. ■ Urban Neighbors By Adam Jones, Watchable Wildlife Biologist Letting wild stay wild. PHOTO COLLAGE BY TIM REIGERT