Rock Throwing and Wildlife

The signs to the right are in a shallow part of Miramar Lake in the City of San Diego.  The top part reads "PLEASE BE KIND TO THE WILDLIFE."  Below  is a second one in brown: 'ROCK THROWING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.'

You probably know what 'kind' means. In other words, 'be nice" to the wildlife. What do we mean by "wildlife"?  What are people throwing rocks at in  or on the water?

Miramar Lake attracts a variety of water birds, such as seagulls, cormorants, mallards, coots, and lesser scaups to name a handful. Some may be permanent residents, but do ducks lack 'cuteness'? Why do parents often allow or encourage their children to throw stones at birds to make them fly away?

In small print on the top sign, there is a warning that harming or destroying habitat or wildlife is against the law. It is a felony, and you could face a $20,000 fine or even imprisonment. This is in smaller print.

The brown sign more simply says that 'rock throwing' is not allowed or permitted according to the law (= prohibited)  If there are small ducklings following their parents in the water, I predict that human parents would discourage or prevent their children from tossing stones or rocks at these smaller 'cuter' creatures.

Signs tell us so much about ourselves and our society.