In these days of passivity and indifference regarding the slaughter of billions of animals, it is refreshing and inspiring to note the dedication and organization of the people in North Little Rock, Arkansas to stop the proposed goose shootings scheduled to occur in Burns Park from December 20th to the 23rd.
In less than a week, 882 people have signed on to the Coalition to Save Burns Park Geese FB page https://www.facebook.com/saveburnsparkgeese and over 1200 have signed an online petition to stop the hunt. http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-patrick-hays-north-little-rock-city-council-forbid-killing-of-geese-in-burns-park.
(It is urged that anyone who hasn't already done so, join the FB page and sign the petition.)
Although obvious that hundreds of local community members oppose this ruthless barbarity (including many actual hunters), that doesn't mean the proposed killings will be canceled.
Unfortunately, (as previous noted many times), once an action is already in motion, it can be very difficult to stop short of actual miracle or radical intervention (i.e. peaceful sit-ins, large demonstrations or expansive media coverage.)
Permits are soon to go out to about 100 shooters and from various notes and statements, it seems park officials are simply seeking the easy way out of a so-called, "problem."
The minutes from an October 17, 2011 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting indicate a rush to judgment and action based upon little if any understanding or actual knowledge about Canada geese:
Although only posted yesterday to the Facebook page, the document has already generated over 60 comments, most of which are horrified with the underhanded and ill informed way this "decision" came about.
Then again, that is quite typical:
A few people "complain" about geese. Those complaints are wrongly perceived to represent the wishes of the majority and then swift and lethal actions are planned to "get rid of the nuisance geese" without documenting actual numbers, using non-lethal methods first or taking an actual vote of the community members.
Although some of the members of the commission seem to worry and anticipate that turning a public park into a shooting gallery won't go over well with "some of the public," that public is dismissed as being "uneducated" and is presumed to forget about the carnage once the first hunt is conducted and over with. (Yes, they are planning further hunts and other "depredation" measures until presumably every last goose is eradicated from North Little Rock.)
How sad and how cynical.
Obviously, the parks people who made this decision to set firing squads upon the Burns Park geese just before Christmas seem to have a very low opinion of the community members they are supposedly elected to serve.
They seem to think that by "donating" the massacred geese for "gooseburgers," all ethical caring for these animals will conveniently go out the window and the public pacified.
Yes, very cynical indeed.
It is of course, doubtful the commission and city council people are reading the Save the Burns Park Geese FB page.
If they did, it might compel them to re-think their decision.
And who these days, wants to "re-think" anything or go back on a decision already made?
And yet the consequences for failing to reverse this decision, could be quite compelling and far worse than canceling an ill-thought and knee-jerk decision.
The "plan" is to kill approximately 135 geese out of an estimated 200 geese in a 1700 acre park.
But, there is no documentation or proof of the actual number of geese at Burns Park and a recent video showed far fewer than the claimed figure.
As we know from New York City (and other places) "estimated counts" of geese have been overly inflated and highly exaggerated.
Even the USDA failed to capture and cull the number of NYC geese this year than what was projected and that was despite visiting two locations twice and surveying more than 100. (They projected capturing 800 geese and actually got 575.)
Recently in this journal, I have written repeatedly of how harassment with Border Collies has altered the behavior of Canada geese at Central Park, causing them to be much more fearful and reactive to even the smallest of normal disturbances (especially, people with dogs). What few geese are actually seen in Central Park these days are rarely in a location more than a few days. The slightest thing (such as parking a Christmas tree in a lake) sends the geese fleeing.
But, how will it be for the supposed "200 geese" at Burns Park if 65 of them survive a hail of bullets that take out 3/4 of their population?
For sure, those 65 geese are not going to hang around to be served up as targets for future "culls."
But, not only will the surviving geese get the hell out of Burns Park, but most likely all the other waterfowl with them, including ducks, shovelers, egrets, commorants and any other birds.
I would like to see how this Parks Commission and City Council is going to explain to bird lovers, children and other people who enjoy nature why the park is suddenly devoid of any waterfowl.
Even those who "complain" about geese don't necessarily want every bird on a lake eradicated.
Then there are the questions of what the park is intending to do about any crippled or wounded geese who survive the "hunt" only to land in someone's yard or outside the park?
What if they end up on YouTube or local or national media?
Does the park commission have rescues and veterinary treatment lined up for the maimed and battered?
You can't after all, go on someone's front lawn and shoot injured wildlife.
Finally, there are those questions concerning the "donated," bullet-ridden geese to food kitchens.
Basically, it is road kill being donated.
No where in the minutes from Oct 17, does it mention "testing" of the geese for lead, mercury, PCB's, pesticides or bacteria.
Is this like royalty "testing" the food on the servants?
"We won't eat it, but let's see how the less fortunate do with it."
Its obvious the city council and Parks and Recreation people of North Little Rock gave no consideration to the multitude of ways this barbaric, ruthless massacre could backfire on them (and so far, we haven't even mentioned potential media coverage to the slaughter).
This could well be a case ultimately of "Give 'em enough rope and they will hang" (not the geese, but) themselves." -- PCA
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