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Conservation FAQs

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Q: What do I do if I find an injured animal?

Q: What do I do if I find an abandoned young animal?

Q: Is it ok to feed the ducks and geese on the lakes?

Answer:

No. Although feeding ducks has always been a popular activity for people visiting their local park, it can actually have a negative impact on wildlife. Additional feeding can:

  • Make waterfowl dependent on humans for food
  • Cause increases in their populations, leading to overcrowding
  • Increase nutrient levels and encourage algae to grow, which in turn decreases oxygen levels. As a result, the water quality deteriorates and can cause fish to suffocate, as well as affecting other wildlife in the lake
  • Cause mortality in young birds as they find bread difficult to digest
  • Attract rats and other vermin.

We encourage you to admire the waterfowl from a distance and not feed them. The birds should be encouraged to forage for themselves on a more natural diet of plants and insects.

Q: At the start of spring I see numerous cygnets with their parents on the lakes. A few weeks later the number has dropped. Where have they gone?

Q: I have Japanese knotweed growing in my garden. How do I deal with it?

Q: Are parakeets a problem?

Q: Why do crows attack people during spring?

Q: How do I stop foxes entering my garden?

Q: I haven't seen a hedgehog in a long time. What's happened to them?

Q: I often see swans swimming with a foot up on its back. Should I be concerned?

Q: What is Japanese knotweed?

Q: My tree is protected - does this mean I can't do anything to it?

Q: My neighbour's tree is too big - what can I do?

Q: How do I get a council-owned tree pruned?

Q: What can I do if a tree infringes my "right to light"?

Q: What should I do if I see or suspect that a wildlife crime is taking place?

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