Does artificial feeding impact neonate growth rates in a large free-ranging mammal?

Variation and disparity in resource access between individuals in an
animal population require attention within human-dominated landscapes
where artificial selection processes may be at work. Independent,
recreational human-wildlife feeding interactions constitute an
increasingly prevalent yet understudied food resource for birds and
mammals living in our cities, but only a limited number of risk-taking
individuals may access it. Using urban fallow deer as our model species,
we hypothesised that if these interactions result in positive effects for
the engaging individual, e.g. increased milk quality and yield, then this
would result in the increased growth rates of their offspring.
Alternatively, if these individuals were prioritising investing time in
engagement with humans, resulting in decreased maternal care, then this
would result in slower growth rates in offspring. We found that the
offspring of those females that regularly interacted with humans displayed
significantly faster growth rates than the risk-avoider counterparts. This
advantage for fearless mothers in terms of boosted neonatal growth rates
could be mirrored in birds accessing garden feeders, seagulls or pigeons
utilizing urban resources, or seals approaching city harbours. Here, we
add a new piece to the complex puzzle of how humans are manipulating
wildlife living within human-dominated landscapes.