By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

not good for animals

Discarding pumpkins into natural areas a big no-no: NCC

Nov 6, 2021 | 11:45 AM

Don’t throw your pumpkin in the woods or other natural areas.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada says that’s a really bad idea, as it could cause disease and death for wildlife.

Mhairi McFarlane, NCC director of science and stewardship, says while it may sound like a green idea, your gourd could also encourage others to dump debris.

“Causing animals to congregate around an unnatural food source can put them at greater risk of transmitting disease, and if the site is close to a road, can increase their risk of being killed by vehicles,” McFarlane said. “While pumpkins may be tasty and attract animals such as deer, moose, raccoons and squirrels they do not require additional food.”

The recommendation is to compost at home or take advantage of other composting initiatives in your community.

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This is also important, the NCC says, because it keeps pumpkins out of the landfills.

Contacting local farms, wildlife rehabilitation centres and zoos are also great ideas as they may take the pumpkins for animal food or enrichment.

READ MORE: The tale of a cute pumpkin