“Don't feed the fox” - such unusual road signs with a photo of a charming red-haired fox were installed by employees of the Sikhote-Alin nature reserve on the Ternei-Plastun highway. This section of the road passes through the territory of the reserve, where wild animals freely cross the roadway.
Already at the entrance to the place where the sign was installed, the state inspectors were waiting for three fox cubs, which had been fed by the residents and guests of Primorye. The press service of the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve explained how such, at first glance, a manifestation of care could turn out.
First, you endanger your life, not just because the animal might suddenly bite. Even seemingly harmless wild animals are carriers of various diseases, foxes carry rabies and other dangerous diseases. And for infection, a small scratch or wound is enough.
Such a tradition is also dangerous for the foxes themselves - they cease to be afraid of cars and every year dozens of them get under the wheels. The animal is weaned from its natural habitat, it loses the incentive to get its food in its natural environment and has problems with the digestive tract due to unusual food arise.