The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is urging the public not to feed any jack-o-lanterns or other leftover pumpkins to wildlife in the wake of Halloween.

In a Friday news release, the agency reported that pumpkins are not a natural food source for any of Washington's wildlife and can even be toxic to some animals.

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They caution that leaving pumpkins out for wildlife to eat can create a reliance on human food sources; attract unwanted pests, like rats and mice; help in spreading diseases among animals; and draw large wildlife such as deer, elk, and bear into urban and suburban areas.

Instead, Fish & Wildlife biologists are encouraging people to compost their carved pumpkins, and remove the skin from any painted pumpkins before using them for composting.

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