11/01/2026
This time of year, we always worry when we see people discussing plans to leave their pumpkins outside for wild animals to eat. While the intentions are good, the consequences are not.
We discourage people from doing this for the same reasons we generally discourage feeding wildlife. Artificial feeding draws animals into close contact, where they are more likely to spread disease. It often feeds the “wrong” animals, drawing in rats and mice who may then get poisoned by neighbors and spread the poison up the food chain. And feeding a wild animal can make it accustomed to humans, putting it in danger.
Pumpkins are also inappropriate food for most wildlife. While it’s fine as a treat for animals in zoos and rehabilitation, pumpkins are the product of thousands of years of domestication and native wildlife didn’t evolve to eat it. A bunch of chopped jack-o-lanterns have far too much sugar for a deer and can cause them to enter ketoacidosis. It can also disrupt their microbiome as their bodies adapt to their winter diet. Animals that do survive eating pumpkins will p**p the seeds, possibly causing them to spread as invasive plants and cause harm in natural ecosystems.
With all that said, we appreciate people who want to avoid food waste! If you want to donate your pumpkins after Halloween, reach out to zoos, rehabilitation facilities, and nature centers to see if they’d like them. (They can include them in a balanced diet without letting the critters overindulge.) Livestock farms and sanctuaries can also often make use of pumpkins. We hear that piggies love them! 🐖
We appreciate everyone who wants to help wildlife. Please be sure to do it the right way!
