Feeding animals in a National Park is against regulations but at Echo Lake in Acadia National Park on any give summer day you'll find some dummies tossing potato chips at the ducks, at least until the lifeguards catch them. Here is some reasons not to feed the ducks:
If you feed them, they will come.
If you have ever visited a lake or pond and seen ducks, chances are you have seen people feed them.
Unfortunately this is not a good thing to do. You may think you are doing the ducks a favor by offering them bits of bread, potato chips or other types of food but you are not.
When you feed ducks you are likely giving them food that is not nutritious. While ducks seem to love bread, it is not that nutritious and generally just fills them up.
Feeding ducks also makes them dependent on hand-outs and makes them tame. Ducks are wild birds that should not rely on humans to feed them. They also need to learn how to get their own food.
When ducks become tame and use to humans they may not be able to protect themselves from predators.
Another reason not to feed ducks is because of the waste that is left behind. Duck droppings can contain bacteria that is not healthy for humans. Too much bacteria in the water and on the land where the ducks are attracted to can be detrimental to your health.
Don't forget, in many areas ducks are suppose to migrate to different areas at different times of the year. If you feed ducks you may be delaying their migration.
Ducks are cute little critters that are fun to watch and great to photograph. Most ducks can fend for themselves. If there are ducks in a pond or lake near you that have always seemed to be there chances are someone is taking care of them if they cant take care of themselves.
Go ahead and watch the ducks, but remember, it's not a good idea to feed them.
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