Wildlife officials warn about deadly Halloween decorations
Incidents involving two types of common outdoor Halloween decorations have prompted nationwide warnings from wildlife experts.
Animal rescue organizations, Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, and wildlife education groups agree that homeowners should avoid or modify plastic pumpkin buckets and fake spider webs if using them outdoors.
Public awareness campaigns about plastic pumpkin buckets began in Ohio this year thanks to increasing reports of doorbell cameras catching deer with pumpkin buckets stuck on their heads. A curious deer may put its head into the bucket, and the handle can become hooked behind the animal's ears. A bucketed deer will be unable to eat or drink unless it is either rescued by human intervention or manages to break the bucket handle.
There are easy solutions to this problem: either avoid using buckets or just remove the handles before placing them outside.
Cotton or polyester spiderwebs may also cause issues for wild animals. Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Lancaster reports frequent calls about owls specifically becoming stuck in fake spiderwebs each October. Unlike a real spider's web, synthetic versions are incredibly difficult to remove from an animal, especially a panicking bird.
If using fake spiderwebs, avoid draping them across large areas where they may serve as a "net" and capture a low-flying bird or bat. Otherwise, put them in a well-lit area and check them daily. As a rule of thumb, if the webs are clearly visible to humans at any hour of the day or night (such as on a well-lit porch), they will also be visible to animals.
Most people will catch nothing but fallen leaves in their decorative spiderwebs, but if an animal does become ensnared, contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission or your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center.
