Town of Vienna police are reminding residents that wildlife are not pets and shouldn’t be treated as such. Vienna is home to numerous types of wildlife that often wander into residential neighborhoods. But with more contact between them and humans, there’s a greater likelihood that wildlife will more easily adapt to humans and lose their natural fear.
So the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries provides the following tips to help prevent a seemingly friendly encounter with wildlife from turning into a dangerous situation:
If you are feeding wildlife, stop.
Don’t leave pet food outside; keep pet feeding-areas clean.
Close all openings under and into buildings. Animals look for places to den and raise their young — don’t give them that opportunity.
Keep small pets inside or on a leash when outside; they may be viewed as prey.
Clear fallen fruit from around trees.
Wildlife may sometimes display symptoms not considered normal behavior. They may include, but are not limited to, stumbling, foaming at the mouth or aggression towards humans or domestic animals. In these circumstances, contact Vienna police at 703-255-6366.