Wildlife on the roadside
The Christmas holidays are a period characterized, as is well known, by a notable influx of tourists within the country Park. Many people will come to stay in the villages of the Protected Area and just as many will choose the Park as the destination for their day out. Some foxes can now easily be spotted along the arterial roads that cross the Park. These wild animals stop on the side of the road, waiting for some customer who stops and decides to leave them some food in exchange for photos and videos. Many people believe that these foxes are looking for help, sick or malnourished. The reality is unfortunately very different. These behaviors were literally TAUGHT to them by the many people who over time continued to mistake these foxes for domestic animals and they, notoriously "smart", accepted the food because it was simply more convenient. These are now wild animals confident and conditioned by the food given to them by humans, developing a real dependence on this "form" of nutrition. A habit that they are most likely also passing on to their offspring.
Good intentions and not knowledge
It's difficult when you have good intentions not to feed, even if there are people who know it well that they don't feed wild animals but they do it anyway because the face of the fox in front of the telephoto lens is cool on social media. Good intentions, however, are the result of not knowing wild animals and natural balances. The same ones that we subvert every time we interact without knowledge of the facts. We ask you, therefore, before giving in to emotions, to use rationality and knowledge only in this way will you be sure of doing what is good for wild animals. If everyone stopped feeding foxes we would no longer find them on the roadside and not the other way around.
The rules to follow
If you really love foxes, be aware of these simple rules:
1) our food can be a real poison for them and encourage the onset of diseases;
2) this can make them lose their natural inclination to obtain food in nature, increasing the probability of death during periods of low tourist attendance;
3) by stopping permanently at the edge or in the center of the road, the chances of being hit by a car drastically increase, and unfortunately this is what often happens when all those who fed them remain calmly in their homes.
If these reasons may not be sufficient to convince someone, everyone is reminded that anyone who approaches foxes stopped on the side of the road and attracts them by giving them food can be administratively sanctioned pursuant to art. 30 (disturbance to fauna), paragraph 2, Law 394/1991 (as integrated by art. 4 of the Park Ordinance of 13 August 2020 regarding accessibility and tourist use of the Park). The fine can reach up to 1032 euros (source: PNALM).
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