Dangerous Decorations: Fake spiderwebs threaten local wildlife in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For many, the holiday season is a time for creativity, especially during Halloween.

"I love Halloween ... my entire house is already decorated inside and out," said rehabilitation director Brittany Rickman of the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

But the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is seeing an influx of wildlife patients tangled in decorations.

"We meet people that just don’t realize that the hanging decorations and the spiderwebs are actually very dangerous to our wild friends," said business and development manager Caitlin Swedrowe of the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

While fake spiderwebs may look festive, wildlife experts believe they can lead to potentially serious injuries. 

"A lot of people put decorations at wildlife and eating sources you know because we put fake spiderwebs on bushes and trees and really don’t wanna be doing that because that is where they not only live but a lot of animals eat from their trees, said Swedrowe.

Small mammals trying to go around to get cotton if they get tangled, it can cause injuries," said Rickman.

Wildlife expert say fake spiderwebs are not only harmful to birds, but also to insects as well as other wildlife.

"It's strong enough to snare an owl, so those are some pretty big birds that can get caught in there," said Rickman.

Wildlife experts say it’s okay to decorate your home, but they’re urging everyone not to put up fake spiderwebs or anything that dangles outdoors.

"We’re in an area where we really need to protect these species specially because a lot of them are migrating through and we really don’t want to harm the wildlife, especially with decorations," said Swedrowe.

Each year the wildlife center sees an influx of patients as a result of fake spiderwebs.