By Lynelle Ward
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

As students travel each morning down Bay Area Boulevard, progress hides the fact that UH-Clear Lake and the surrounding area is home to more than 370 species of wildlife.

The city and its occupants appear to co-exist well with area wildlife, but the sight of an adult deer lying dead on the side of the road shows the danger urban wildlife face. It is a lack of respect for wildlife that endangers these animals. Many seemingly harmless actions can have dire consequences to wildlife and their habitats.

The UH-Clear Lake Police Department and the local game warden now have to resolve a potential danger because people are feeding local wildlife, including resident alligators.

Normally wild animals have a natural fear of people. This fear keeps many potentially dangerous animals at a safe distance from people. Feeding wildlife diminishes their fear. Animals can quickly associate people with food.

The UH-Clear Lake police recently spotted people feeding a 6-foot alligator in the campus pond. Because the alligator has been encouraged to approach people at an unsafe distance, the game warden is now forced to try and relocate the alligator to a safer location. If the relocation is not successful, the animal will have to be destroyed.

People are often responsible for creating dangerous confrontations with animals. Careless behavior, such as feeding wild animals, can cost the life of animals and people.

Lt. Derrell Means of the UH-Clear Lake Police Department said that area residents and students often interact with the local wildlife. A local family comes to the school every evening to feed the deer and a few weeks ago, a student was floating in the school bayou in an inner-tube.

Signs are posted warning people of the potential dangers, but many disregard these warnings.

One of the most important things for students to understand is that their actions have consequences. Feeding area wildlife may seem innocent, but the food we eat can cause health problems for animals and it can cause animals to lose their natural fear of people.

UH-Clear Lake borders the Armand Bayou Nature Center, one of the largest urban wildlife preserves in the United States. Therefore, we must adhere to guidelines so that students and residents can safely co-exist with local wildlife.

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