Heads up to campers and visitors to Grand Canyon National Park, the most notorious campsite bandits might not be what you expect.
The park is warning visitors to be aware of the many ravens in the area, known to tear into bags, open containers, steal food, and scatter kitchen supplies. To keep your campsite safe from these remarkably intelligent birds, store all your food in secure, animal-proof containers, pack away kitchen items when not in use, and never leave trash or scraps out.
While these guidelines are recommended specifically to prevent theft by raven, plenty of other wildlife will attempt to take advantage of garbage or food left around. This could potentially endanger both the person and the animal, so keep your campsite clean.
Wildlife should never be fed, no matter how cute they may look. Human foods are typically not healthy for wild animals, lacking the necessary nutrients they need to survive. Additionally, animals can become dependent on human food, or “food conditioned”, leading to sickness or starving. In some cases, food conditioned animals can be aggressive toward humans, requiring that they be killed.
Read more on protecting wildlife by keeping your food secure here.
