According to the below article posted on the NY Times city blog a few days ago:
"In June and July 2010, USDA Wildlife Services observed 1,877 geese in 19 sites across the city and Western Nassau and removed 89% of them, the report states."
The article goes on to describe even more aggressive round up and kill actions planned for this year.
If "Wildlife (Extermination) Services" killed 89% of the geese last year, then this year it is likely to be 100%. (Or at least, that seems to be the goal.)
That means extinction for Canada geese in New York City.
The seeming silence of the large animal protection organizations on a planned governmental extermination of wildlife in our city parks is bewildering to say the least. Do we only "protest" after the fact? Do we hold vigils or mock funerals after the animals are already dead?
Do we only mourn the loss of the passenger pigeon after it has been banished from the face of the earth forever?
Will the same be true for the peaceful, majestic and regal, Canada goose?
As noted in this blog, this has been a very tough winter for waterfowl, not just in New York City, but in fact, all over the country. Frigid temperatures and record snow storms have been recorded in places as far south as Texas and Oklahoma.
Fact is, that a lot of birds aren't going to make it through this winter after all is said and done.
Yes, Canada geese are extremely hardy, intelligent and adaptable birds.
But, they not only have to adapt to harsh changes in weather, but also a national assault on the species as represented by expanded hunting seasons all over the country, organized "harassment" campaigns, egg destruction and of course, the regular roundups and gassings that are conducted annually by the USDA.
It is hard to see how any species ultimately survives that kind of ubiquitous, all out campaign of destruction against them.
Especially, a species that tottered on the brink of extinction more than fifty years ago due to destruction of habitat and over hunting.
It must be noted that we were not utilizing harassment methods, egg destruction and roundups and gassings when Canada geese almost went extinct during the 1950's and early 1960's.
Nor, did we have winters that were as brutal as this present one has been.
Currently, I only see a total of nine Canada geese in the north side of Central Park (above 79th Street). That number is way down from recent past winters.
While more Canada geese are being reported in Prospect Park and presumably other areas, many of those geese are migratory and can be presumed to fly north shortly before spring arrives.
What remains at Prospect Park and other city parks after that will be rounded up and gassed according to the article in the NY Times and other media outlets.
That sounds like an extermination campaign.
In fact, extinction of the entire resident goose population in Prospect Park last summer is what occurred — right down to the two "celebrity" geese, Target and Beaky. Even they were not spared government cruelty after surviving pedestrian cruelty.
Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg and "Wildlife (Extermination) Services" for insuring that our children will not have the luxury of seeing and enjoying the wonders of gentle waterfowl in our city parks.
Better that our kids be "connected" to electronic devices than what is real and alive. Is that the goal and the objective?
Perhaps the day is not far off when instead of occasionally seeing glorious and proud birds flying over our skies in majestic "V" formation, we will see only instruments of steel.
But, we can always look up on our electronic devices or perhaps see in a museum, what was once called, "The Great Canada goose." -- PCA
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