Happy Halloween!
That is, unless you’re an unsuspecting creature in the woods looking for something tasty to eat. If that’s the case, things can get downright frightening around this time of year as people toss their old Halloween pumpkins and other squash into nature once the holiday is over.
In fact, the risks are so chilling that Forestry England, part of England’s Forestry Commission, is warning people against throwing out their old Jack O’Lanterns for wildlife to eat, as this practice can actually pose threats to animals.
In recent years, there has been viral advice online to chuck old pumpkins used as Halloween and fall decor into backyards and forests for animals. But tossing painted and bedazzled pumpkins or pumpkins with decor in or on them can be deadly for wildlife.
“Pumpkins are also often decorated and have things such as candles in them. Animals eating the pumpkins could then eat a foreign object and this could kill them,” …