Raleigh mayor says she would get fined under proposed wild and dangerous animal ban
If the city bans the feeding of feral cats, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said she’d be in trouble.
“Well, you’ll be fining me at my house every day,” Baldwin said Tuesday.
“I have my favorite feral cat, and he is like one of the family. ... And that [rule] to me goes a little too far,” she said. “But I’ll tell you what, I would still feed that feral cat and let you fine me.”
The Raleigh City Council discussed a proposed ban on wild and dangerous animals during a virtual meeting. The ordinance was prompted by Council member David Knight after a venomous zebra cobra was spotted in a Raleigh neighborhood in June. The pet snake was captured two days later.
“I realize some have made light of this incident,” Knight said. “And now that the snake is captured and everyone is safe, looking back I can see how this all unfolded and created a bit of dread and humor at the same time. Like something out of a B-rated horror film.”
But it wasn’t funny to the neighborhood and surrounding community, he said, adding people have told him they were traumatized by the experience.
Most of the council members at Tuesday’s meeting supported new rules. But the definition of wild and dangerous animals and prohibition on feeding some animals left some confused.
“I thought we were talking about zebra cobras, but when I was looking over the ordinance we are talking about feeding feral cats,” said Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart. “We are talking about not keeping ducks in our backyard. And we are not talking about feeding geese and deer.
“I feel like this ordinance is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut,” she said. “And I think it needs a bit more time and a lot more conversation.”
Lions, tigers and ... ducks
The definition of wild animals in the proposed ordinance ranges from lions, tigers and coyotes to ducks, squirrels and raccoons.
Council member Stormie Forte received a “tremendous” amount of concern from residents about possible sanctions for having grills or bird feeders on their property.
The draft ordinance requires people to “secure” grills, pet food and bird feeders to avoid contact with wild and dangerous animals. The ordinance doesn’t apply to the feeding of songbirds or other backyard birds.
“One thing we have to remember with the amount of growth we have had in the city of Raleigh, we as humans have moved into the natural habit of the wild animals in the area,” Forte said. “So with the pace of growth, we are going to have some of these issues and challenges.”
The council voted unanimously to move the item to the council’s Growth and Natural Resources Committee for further discussion. The next meeting is on Sept. 28.
At the end of the discussion, Knight asked why Baldwin didn’t adopt the feral cat — she calls it Lovey — that she feeds near her home.
“The feral cat can’t be adopted,” she replied. “I would if I could. The little critter, they don’t want to come in.”
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 4:02 PM.
