Kokomo, IN Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Kokomo Code of Ordinances § 134.03(A) makes it unlawful to purposely or knowingly feed, bait, or in any manner provide access to food to any wild animal or waterfowl on property owned and operated by the city, though the section carves out an exception for feeding farm animals. Section 134.02 defines WILD ANIMAL broadly as any animal not normally domesticated in the state, including but not limited to coyotes, deer, cats, foxes, groundhogs, opossums, raccoons, skunks, and waterfowl, so the ban reaches backyard-style feeding of deer or coyotes when it happens on city park land or other municipal property, not just duck-feeding at a pond.

Division (B) exempts anyone authorized by the Parks Department, along with licensed hunters or anglers acting under a valid state license or other necessary governmental authorization. Chapter 134's stated purpose, in § 134.01, is that feeding wild animals and waterfowl is detrimental to the animals themselves and creates a public health nuisance and safety hazard. Enforcement under § 134.04 is shared by the Chief of the Police Department and the Superintendent of the Parks Department or their designees, giving both agencies full authority to write citations on city property.

The chapter was adopted by Ordinance 6509, passed November 19, 2007, and sits in Title IX General Regulations, separate from the domestic-pet licensing and leash rules of Chapter 90.