Bedford might ban feeding wildlife at parks

City officials are looking at banning the feeding of wildlife at all city parks after they learned that overfeeding ducks at Boys Ranch Lake was leading to an unhealthy growth in the population.

After the lake was dredged last summer and as construction wound down on the first phase of a $3.2 million improvement project to Boys Ranch Park, people concerned about the welfare of ducks and turtles scattered corn, bread and other food for the animals despite signs asking them not to.

During a work session last week, council members heard from urban biologist Sam Kieschnick of the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, who said excessive feeding is leading to unintended consequences such as a duck population too large for the lake to support.

“When we add supplemental nutrients to the environment, there are reactions to that,” Kieschnick said.

“Their heart is in the right place, but the problem is that the wild part of the organism goes away,” he said.

Mayor Jim Griffin said animal control officials contacted animal-welfare organizations and learned that feeding bread, corn and dog food is not good for the wildlife.

According to Bedford’s website, an employee noticed a turtle in distress that could not submerge. The animal was taken to a veterinarian, who determined that the turtle ate a large quantity of corn and dog food

Councilman Roger Fisher suggested putting up informational signs, similar to those found in zoos, describing the various species of wildlife at the lake and explaining the unintended consequences of feeding the animals.

City Manager Roger Gibson noted that when Bedford’s no-texting-while-driving ordinance took effect, residents learned about the consequences of distracted driving through an education campaign.

“When they see those information stations and understand why, I think we will have cooperation,” Gibson said.

It’s not the first time the city has looked at ways to help the wildlife at the lake. Earlier this spring, city staffers built stone ramps for ducks and turtles to use to get in and out of the newly reconstructed lake.

Councilman Roy Turner said he wished the city didn’t have to consider adopting an ordinance to prohibit people from feeding the animals.

“It’s not ‘us against them.’ This is a time that we need to realize that we are on the same side,” he said. “We want to do what’s best for the wildlife out there. Let’s quit fighting and work together to reach these goals.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Bedford might ban feeding wildlife at parks."