PIKEROAD, Ala. (WIAT) — Nearly 150 Canada geese have been removed and euthanizedfrom a suburban Montgomery community after complaints about goose feces raisedhealth concerns, officials said.
Tanya Espinosa, a spokeswoman for the U.S.Department of Agriculture told news outlets that the agency removed 148 geesefrom a residential community in Pike Road and “humanely euthanizedthem.”
The department’s Wildlife Services helpsmanaged damage related to Canada geese. Espinosa said under Alabama law it wasnot possible to relocate the geese instead of euthanizing them.
The movecame after residents of The Waters complained about the large amount of goosefeces they were finding.
Robin Boutwell enjoys running in hissuburban Montgomery community but doesn’t like seeing geese feces.
“It’s very unsanitary, it never reallywent away until it rained, so it was becoming a health hazard. We have a beachout here that we encourage the kids to play in, but it was literally covered ingeese feces,” said Boutwell.
Jennifer Akridge, from The Waters, saysthey reached out to the USDA after residents complained about the effects ofhaving 175 geese living in the area. Akridge said the USDA said there werehealth issues associated with having so many geese and feces on the property.
“The Waters Assembly received a largenumber of complaints from neighbors with concerns over health and safety issueswith the amount of geese feces associated with having over 175 geese on TheWaters property. The Waters Assembly contacted other homeowner’s associationsacross the city and they recommended we contact the wildlife experts with theUSDA,” she said in a statement.
“The USDA confirmed that there arehealth issues related to having that many geese and feces on theproperty.”
The residential community asked the federaldepartment to assist in removing the geese, she said.
“From our understanding, not all geesewere removed,” she said, directing questions about the birds’ removal tothe USDA.
Espinosa says there are no plans to removemore of the remaining birds.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) calls the USDA Wild Life Services a “kill happy agency.”
“Goose calls typically entails chasingdown flightless birds during their molting season and loading them up on trucksand gassing them to death,” said Kirsten Rickman.
PETA says the answer to this problem ishabitat modification and repellents.
