Gaston County, N.C., killed 144 Canada geese at a county park because, according to the Associated Press, “workers worried [the geese] had become a health hazard.” To me there’s no gray area here: 144 geese is an absolute risk to public health. Among other dangers, geese produce up to a pound of droppings per goose per day—you can imagine the impact of 144 geese on water and soil quality. The county’s choice was either to kill the geese or close the park to humans.
However, North Carolina apparently has a thriving hippie population. Dozens of people held a memorial service for the geese, which included songs and 144 fresh-cut flowers (one for each dead goose). According to the AP, several people said they wished the county had done something different and discussed setting up a rescue group for geese.
Presumably the rescue group would afford concerned individuals the opportunity to adopt a pet goose. Hmm, I’m not sure that’s the best idea, but perhaps it would give the mourners a lesson in reality.
