Not long ago, the appearance of geese in a neighborhood pond was unusual. So rare were these birds, whose populations had been decimated by human exploitation, that the mere sight of one was cause to celebrate. Now, however, Canada geese are considered problems in many communities, and feelings have turned against them. How did this change come about?
The History
At the end of the 19th century, over-hunting and mass killing for market had reduced Canada goose populations to near extinction. The International Migratory Bird Treaty Act was created in part to protect the populations that remained.
In the early 1960s, small groups of the "giant" Canada goose were rediscovered at a number of refuges, and federal and state agencies began a concerted effort to rebuild populations. Geese were captured and moved into new areas; eggs were taken and incubated to encourage second clutches; and in places where populations were re-established, "surplus" birds were moved to areas where geese were not yet found.
Although these efforts were probably made with good intentions, they represent one of the most dramatic examples of human action leading directly to widespread human-wildlife conflict. The principal reason for the growing conflict is that relocated geese have not learned their species' migratory pathways, and instead have remained year-round in urban and suburban areas where wide lawns, parks, golf courses, and artificial ponds make perfect goose habitats. These populations have expanded to the point where, by the mid-1980s, many states were concerned about "too many" geese.
The Problems
The problems associated with Canada geese are largely aesthetic. They stem from the fact that geese prefer to graze on residential lawns, golf courses, and playing fields. Where geese graze, they also defecate. Goose feces can be a serious annoyance to golfers, ball players, and others using grassy areas. Some worry the feces may also pose human health problems, but to date, there is no evidence to associate geese with human illness, beyond a documented example of allergic hypersensitivity in one individual.
We should acknowledge, however, that large numbers of geese occupying small bodies of water in suburban and urban areas could potentially pose an indirect health risk. The means to solve such problems, when they occur, should be directed at the ecological conditions that promote degraded water quality, not at geese.
The Roundups
For some communities, the preferred method for dealing with "problem" goose populations is the roundup, a process in which flightless geese are herded into pens, boxed in transport cages, and sent to slaughter at commercial poultry processing houses. In areas where food retailers refuse to accept meat from wild animals exposed to environmental chemicals, the "expendable" birds may be put to death using lethal gases. It is the practice of roundups, more than anything else, that has divided communities. It is believed by many who care for geese and the environment to be unnecessary, illogical, and inhumane.
The Solutions
It will take a combination of tools and strategies to restore harmony between urban Canada geese and people. The solutions to the conflicts will not come from state and federal agencies or nongovernmental organizations, but from individuals and communities that care about the birds, the environment, and the well-being of their communities. When The HSUS advocates life-affirming solutions as the only reasonable response to the problems people sometimes have with Canada geese, we do so as much to affirm our own lives as theirs.
