Lindsay Patterson

It’s a general rule of thumb when you’re in a national park or wilderness area: Don’t feed the wildlife. Not only is it unwise to have that bear cub eating out of your hand, it disturbs the animal’s natural diet and behavior. But what about when the animals can’t exactly help themselves?

This past Friday, hungry bald eagles decided to take a chance on human food, with disastrous results. About 50 birds were sitting outside the Ocean Beauty Seafood processing plant in Kodiak, Alaska, waiting for a free meal (I’m imagining an informal bald eagle soup kitchen) when plant workers backed an uncovered dump truck full of fish guts outside. The birds immediately dove into the truck, and the mass of their numbers caused the early birds to get crushed and buried in the quicksand-like sludge of the fish guts. The truck drivers quickly pulled it back inside, but it was too late for 20 of the birds. When they were pulled out, the Alaskan winter temperatures froze them. People from the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge tried to warm them up and wash the fish oil off with dishwashing soap. The survivors are being airlifted to Anchorage for a more thorough cleaning. The dead birds’ feathers will potentially be given to Native American groups for ceremonial purposes.

It’s not clear if the seafood company is going to be taking financial responsibility for the accident. Everyone agrees that no one intended to kill 20 of the nation’s most symbolic birds in one go. The formerly endangered bald eagle has made a stunning recovery in Alaska, but apparently it’s not immune to human dependency. Because we’re supposed to be stewards of wildlife in an increasingly human landscape, we’re starting to bend the simple rules of our relationship to nature.

For example: In western Colorado’s Gunnison Basin, the Colorado Wildlife Commission has approved funding to feed 21,000 mule deer. The deer, and other large animals in the region, are in danger of starving due to extreme cold and snowfall. Deer usually forage underneath snow for food. But this year, the snow is up 50 inches deep. According to a rancher volunteering with the feeding efforts, the snow is almost over the heads of fawns, and the adults are up to their bellies. During similar conditions in the winter of ‘78-79, 70 percent of Colorado’s mule deer population died. Deer at high risk will be feed on special wafers. The Denver Post is calling the program a “pre-emptive strike” against starvation.

People are still being asked not to set out food for the deer. Despite the goodness of intentions, kitchen scraps, or “people food” is not good for animals. So, the new rule is: We - as in humans - can feed the wildlife, but we - as in you and me - cannot. Is that clear?