Perhaps like those ubiquitous signs at zoos and various parks around the country, Fountain Hills should post signs around town: “Don’t feed the wildlife!”

Most everyone enjoys seeing desert critters around town – well, maybe not so much snakes and those pesky javelinas – but let’s face it, Fountain Hills is a desert community that contains abundant washes and adjoins much desert space.

Wildlife can be admired and should be respected, but those residents who put out table scraps or other foodstuffs for wild animals are truly doing a disservice to the community.

Some people are all abuzz last week after a Facebook posting that a mountain lion was “on the prowl” in Fountain Hills. While the Game and Fish Department couldn’t confirm there had indeed been a mountain lion sighting in town, personnel did confirm they had no reports of dogs and cats being snatched from yards.

Common sense needs to prevail here – our community is home to many predators that could easily prey on small domestic animals. Hawks, owls, eagles, bobcats and coyotes all have such “diets.” Yet, human desert dwellers need to keep watch over their smaller pets, obey the leash law and use common sense. Feeding wildlife only encourages them to hang around residential neighborhoods and to become less leery of human contact.

Animals such as coyotes and javelina, when fed by humans, can become a nuisance or even a threat to human safety. In fact, you can often do these animals a favor by going out of your way to make them uncomfortable. If they keep their natural fear of people, they are less likely to become a nuisance and more likely to live a longer life.