Ohio University’s campus is filled with critters, but feeding them food that is not typically part of their diet is bad for everyone.
Times are tough when the university tells students not to feed wild animals.
Ohio University’s Snapchat story is commonly used as a platform for students to video themselves feeding groundhogs, which live in and around campus. Though they may seem cute and cuddly, groundhogs are not your friends and one was found dead on campus last week.
The issue may seem frivolous or may not even seem like an issue at all to some, but the point is, feeding animals foods not natural to their diet can cause serious harm, including death. It is probable that eating dining hall food was not the cause of its death, but it is a better idea to avoid feeding them altogether.
Groundhogs typically eat berries and dried corn, among other things. That does not include ice cream and crackers, contrary to some student’s apparent beliefs. Eating things not typical to their diet can weaken their immune systems making them more susceptible to disease and infections.
Which brings us to another good point, groundhogs might bite.
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Though they may not be the most vicious animals on the food chain, groundhogs, particularly those interested in being fed by college students, may be dangerous.
As mentioned above, messing with a groundhog’s diet can make them more susceptible to diseases, so if you’re feeding one and it has a disease and bites you, that may not exactly bode well with your homosapien immune system.
Even if the groundhog doesn’t have a disease, getting bit by one would also just not be a very pleasurable experience. The best way to avoid this is simply to avoid them.
The groundhog feeding situation has luckily not turned into an issue, but it very easily could. Please do your part and use your dining hall swipes to feed a hungry upperclassman, not an animal.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Emma Ockerman, Managing Editor Rebekah Barnes, Opinion Editor Will Gibbs and Digital Managing Editor Samuel Howard. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
