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Keep Centennial Parklands' wildlife wild

The Parklands offer an array of habitats for native birds and other wildlife, including the Centennial Park duck pond, the paperbark grove, and remnant bushland. It can be very tempting to feed the wildlife, but it can lead to a range of problems for both animals and humans.

Is one of your favourite things to do in Centennial Park feeding the birds?

Many people enjoy feeding the birds but there are some good reasons why we shouldn’t feed any of the wildlife in the Parklands:

  • Let nature look after the birds - feeding them upsets the delicate ecological balance and the populations of some birds become over-abundant

  • Hand feeding can make birds aggressive, which creates a nuisance for visitors

  • When animals depend on people for their food they become scavengers and their natural foraging behaviours cease

  • Human food can kill animals or make them sick. We hear a lot about how snack foods that contain too much salt and sugar are bad for us and they can be harmful to birds and animals too. Poor nutrition can lead to bone deformities, reduced ability to cope with cold weather and increase susceptibility to disease.

Sharing is not always caring – if you love our wildlife, please don't feed the animals!

All of the animals in the Parklands are wild and are not pets. In particular, please don't feed the animals bread. White bread has limited nutrients but birds and other animals will feast on this easy meal, ignoring their natural food sources. This creates an imbalance in the ecological food chain and also contributes to water pollution in the Parklands’ ponds.

How you can help to protect the wildlife

Dogs must be kept on leads within Grand Drive and within 10m of all ponds to protect the animals. Other ways to protect our native fauna include:

  • ensuring pets are kept indoors after sunset so that they do not inadvertently end up in Centennial Parklands

  • drive at a maximum of 30 km/h and take extra care just before sunset when many of the animals are active

  • collect rubbish to ensure it does not become entangled in wings, legs, ponds, shrubs, or nests.

For more information about keeping the wildlife in Centennial Parklands wild, please visit:

Environment NSW