RESIDENTS are being warned against leaving their discarded Hallowe’en pumpkins out for wildlife to reduce the risk of spreading disease.

Forestry England (FE) is asking residents to ignore online “tips and tricks” telling people to toss their used pumpkins in the woods for animals to eat to help keep down the risk of diseases like African Swine Fever, which is seen as a threat to the Forest’s wild boar population.

FE has once again been reminding residents that feeding boar kitchen scraps is illegal.

Kate Wollen, assistant ecologist for FE said: “We see many posts on social media encouraging people to leave pumpkins in the woods for wildlife to eat, but please do not do this. Pumpkins are not natural to the woodland and while some wildlife may enjoy a tasty snack it can make others, such as hedgehogs, very poorly. 

“Feeding pumpkins, or any other food in the forest, to birds, foxes, badgers, deer, and boar can make them unwell and can spread disease.  Feeding boar kitchen scraps, like pumpkins, is illegal and could risk introducing diseases such as African Swine Fever. 

“Pumpkins are 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.

“There are lots of great ways to use your pumpkin after Hallowe’en at home, and my favourites are to use the flesh to make a hearty soup, or to add to my compost. They are 90 per cent water so are a great composting material, adding a great source of nitrogen and moisture to my compost bin each year.”