TheNightling
@TheNightling
1
Pumpkin (When and where it’s safe to leave pumpkins for wildlife and why the rules are different in the USA and UK)
We’ve hit that time of year where there are confusing memes circulating about the environmental impact of pumpkins. There are contradicting statements on what to do and not do with pumpkins in relation to wildlife. I’ll give you the facts.
1. In the USA, Mexico, and Canada, it is perfectly safe to let wildlife have your discarded pumpkins such as smashing them in the forest for deer, raccoons, and squirrels. In fact many zoos will take donated pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns to give as treats to animals like elephants. Elephants love pumpkins. The inner flesh of a pumpkin is safe for dogs and cats and contains nutrients, it also helps with digestion and treats and prevents hairballs in cats.
The pumpkins were first cultivated in what is today the Southern united states and Mexico However pumpkins have been grown across the US for centuries now and there are even patches of wild pumpkin. There are cases of domestic dogs eating pumpkin guts, defecating out the seeds in wooded areas and creating their own pumpkin patches by accident.
For centuries Illinois has grown more pumpkins than any other part of the continental USA.
Wildlife in the US are used to pumpkin and can digest it perfectly fine. Yes, even in the North. Pumpkins are grown all over the US and our wildlife has adapted to it even if it originated in the South.
2. It is NOT okay to leave pumpkin for wildlife in the UK. The reason for this… Hedgehogs. There are no wild hedgehogs in the USA so this is not an issue here. They are not indigenous. Here’s the thing, Hedgehogs LOVE pumpkin but it’s not a natural part of their diet. They will over-indulge. It won’t kill them but it will upset their stomachs. It’s like crack for them and they don’t know when to stop. They could end up with a host of digestive issues caused by over-eating.
3. Do NOT try to preserve your Jack-o-lantern by soaking it in bleach (as some memes suggest). This is toxic to wildlife and many animals are manic when trying to prepare for the winter and or hibernation. They may try to eat it despite the bleach smell. It. is. Poison. If you want to preserve your Jack-o-lantern just leave it in a bucket of ice water when it is not in use to slow down decay OR use an artificial carvable pumpkin like the ones they sell at Target in their annual Hyde and Eek Boutique. A painted or chemically treated jack-o-lantern cannot be donated to zoos or left out for wildlife.
So TL;DR: If you’re in the US, Canada, or Mexico, you can leave your pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns in the woods for wildlife. You can even donate them to zoos. If you are in the UK you probably shouldn’t since it is not a natural part of your environment and you will give the poor hedgehogs a tummy ache.
We’ve hit that time of year where there are confusing memes circulating about the environmental impact of pumpkins. There are contradicting statements on what to do and not do with pumpkins in relation to wildlife. I’ll give you the facts.
1. In the USA, Mexico, and Canada, it is perfectly safe to let wildlife have your discarded pumpkins such as smashing them in the forest for deer, raccoons, and squirrels. In fact many zoos will take donated pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns to give as treats to animals like elephants. Elephants love pumpkins. The inner flesh of a pumpkin is safe for dogs and cats and contains nutrients, it also helps with digestion and treats and prevents hairballs in cats.
The pumpkins were first cultivated in what is today the Southern united states and Mexico However pumpkins have been grown across the US for centuries now and there are even patches of wild pumpkin. There are cases of domestic dogs eating pumpkin guts, defecating out the seeds in wooded areas and creating their own pumpkin patches by accident.
For centuries Illinois has grown more pumpkins than any other part of the continental USA.
Wildlife in the US are used to pumpkin and can digest it perfectly fine. Yes, even in the North. Pumpkins are grown all over the US and our wildlife has adapted to it even if it originated in the South.
2. It is NOT okay to leave pumpkin for wildlife in the UK. The reason for this… Hedgehogs. There are no wild hedgehogs in the USA so this is not an issue here. They are not indigenous. Here’s the thing, Hedgehogs LOVE pumpkin but it’s not a natural part of their diet. They will over-indulge. It won’t kill them but it will upset their stomachs. It’s like crack for them and they don’t know when to stop. They could end up with a host of digestive issues caused by over-eating.
3. Do NOT try to preserve your Jack-o-lantern by soaking it in bleach (as some memes suggest). This is toxic to wildlife and many animals are manic when trying to prepare for the winter and or hibernation. They may try to eat it despite the bleach smell. It. is. Poison. If you want to preserve your Jack-o-lantern just leave it in a bucket of ice water when it is not in use to slow down decay OR use an artificial carvable pumpkin like the ones they sell at Target in their annual Hyde and Eek Boutique. A painted or chemically treated jack-o-lantern cannot be donated to zoos or left out for wildlife.
So TL;DR: If you’re in the US, Canada, or Mexico, you can leave your pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns in the woods for wildlife. You can even donate them to zoos. If you are in the UK you probably shouldn’t since it is not a natural part of your environment and you will give the poor hedgehogs a tummy ache.
