Feeding Wildlife

When you visit the new observation tower at Goodson Lake along the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, you will likely see Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) swimming right to the deck.  Although we have not seen anyone feeding the turtles, we suspect that human snacks are making their way into the swamp food web.  Never a good thing.

A photo we recently received via email shows

 that the problem is even worse in the nearby Francis Marion National Forest.  Black Bears have been spotted near Four Holes Swamp with one being hit by a vehicle on Interstate 26 near Jedburg.

No worries at the Francis Beidler Forest, our picnic tables are safe from bears, black and Yogi alike!