A new study from Burnaby Mountain’s Rural Animal Welfare Report (RAWR) is warning that, unless the university takes action against their existing Zero Waste program, snacking habitats for raccoons may soon disappear completely.
The Zero Waste Initiative, which was implemented at Simon Fraser in 2011, is a program dedicated towards reducing the amount of SFU’s garbage being sent to the landfill. Instead, Zero Waste employs four separate bins to help divide trash into either “mixed paper,” “recyclables,” “food scraps and compostables,” and “landfill garbage,” deterring part of the university’s waste output. According to the SFU Sustainability Strategic Plan, the objective “is to divert 70 per cent of our waste from the landfill by the end of 2015.”
Data from 2013 shows SFU is over halfway towards its goal, sitting at a comfortable 37 per cent, but RAWR is convinced that these eco-friendly initiatives are having a negative impact on the snacking habits of SFU’s raccoon population.
“Everyone automatically associates recycling with success and glamour,” RAWR researcher Monica Wells told The Peak. “Well, now the raccoons on Burnaby Mountain are paying the price.”
By compiling raccoon behavioural snack patterns from six years ago and comparing them with patterns since the waste efficiency program came into effect, RAWR claims that raccoons are having to travel further and further just to find some delicious trash to mow down on while watching infomercials at one a.m. The study also claims that some raccoons become confused when faced with four different multi-coloured bins — unable to determine if the most delicious trash can cuisine would be found in “food scraps and compostables” or “landfill garbage” — and eventually giving up in frustration.
“Frankly, I’m surprised that the university would push through such an irresponsible program without first conducting research to see if any of the campus’ wildlife would be impacted,” said Wells. “Proper waste management and progressive green-thinking has essentially wiped out any source of late-night munchies that the raccoon population is reliant on.”
In addition to the changed behavioural patterns, RAWR researchers say that more raccoons are binge eating whenever a discarded meal is found, along with a sharp spike in recorded raccoon tummy rumbles. The overall consensus is that SFU’s animal population is in a crisis, with raccoons especially becoming “hangry” on a regular basis.
“Hangry raccoons — who are angry because they’re hungry — are similar to regular raccoons except they’re more passive-aggressive and more likely to lash out at friend racoons for something petty, like talking too much,” explained Wells. “If you encounter a raccoon and you suspect it might be hangry, try to appear as large as possible while slowly backing away from the animal.” If you’re going around on the trails at Burnaby campus, you can also avoid these encounters in the first place by not smacking your lips too loud when eating something delicious.”
