Every now and then a real nice story comes along about geese and humans.
Such was the case earlier this weekend from Piedmont, California. A group of human mothers aiding a new family of geese to cross traffic and arrive safely with their goslings to a nearby lake:
I believe these mothers to be typical of most normal, thinking and feeling Americans.
As a people, we appreciate nature and wildlife. Our hearts and empathy particularly go out to other "parents" in nature struggling to raise their young.
But, I could not help but wonder when reading this story, "What if these mothers lived in New York City instead of California?"
What if, after guiding this family of geese to safe haven, the mothers learned three weeks later that the same family was rounded up by government agencies (USDA
Wildlife Services) and shipped to a slaughterhouse?
Wildlife Services) and shipped to a slaughterhouse?
My guess is the mothers would be horrified and outraged.
But, mothers throughout New York City are facing just that in another month.
Gaggles of helpless geese, including many families with young goslings will be rounded up from city parks and one wildlife refuge and sent to slaughter.
What do the mothers tell their children who ask, "Mommy, where are the geesies?"
I am thinking particularly of the young mother I met a few weeks ago at Harlem Meer. A loving mother who brought her 6-year-old daughter every weekend to "feed the ducks and geese" in Central Park.
The woman told me how much her little girl looked forward to seeing the birds in the park and how much they both loved animals.
"Unfortunately, where we live, we are not allowed to have any pets." the young mother confided. "Coming here is my daughter's only way to connect with and enjoy animals."
A few minutes following this brief conversation, the little girl asked to walk around with my dogs. Seeing the smile and hopefulness on her face, I could only say yes.
For many children, particularly those growing up in urban "no pet" apartments, their only means of seeing and learning about animals and nature are their city parks. In many cases, the families don't have the means and finances to take their children for country drives or trips to Yellowstone.
But, these days there are no geese at Harlem Meer and very few ducks.
The young mother and her child were actually chased away from one area of the Meer that day by fisher people when the little girl attempted to feed a duck.
Are these shades of things shortly to come?
It sadly appears that way.
Over the years, I have witnessed thousands of little children, young romantic couples, senior citizens, photographers and even many exercise enthusiasts stop to take special moment and enjoyment of the wildlife in Central Park.
And no animal has been the beneficiary of that outpouring of human wonder and awe more than Canada geese.
That is due to the particularly social nature of the geese and their willingness to trust and "invite" humans into their lives.
I can never forget particularly, the utter joy and smiles on the children's faces when Mama and Papa raised their six goslings at Turtle Pond in 2010.
It was literally a bounty of human love, generosity and adoration pouring out every day at the small pond near Belvedere Castle.
Small wonder Mama and Papa and their six balls of yellow fluff readily waddled up to people and children everyday. Indeed, they even quickly learned to trust most of the dogs passing through, including my two.
Turtle Pond seems so empty now without this major life force and source of entertainment for thousands of people (though fortunately, geese are still present at the nearby Boat Lake -- at least for the moment).
But, let us not foolishly assume it is only children, parents or senior citizens who take special pleasure and comfort in geese.
I have seen many an otherwise "macho man" tossing bread to geese. I even recall the young rap singer "serenading" a gaggle of Canada geese on a nearly frozen Harlem Meer one January afternoon in 2011:
And he wasn't the only rapper liking geese. There is also this YouTube video (which is admittedly better, though "saltier" than mine):
One could say geese have a diverse fan club that seemingly knows no bounds.
Still the question remains, How will all these people feel when they wake up one day to realize the geese who "used to be everywhere" and who they so "loved" are suddenly gone?
Another question to ask: Why is it the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's job ("duty of care") to "insure airline safety" by arranging for the killings of thousands of resident park geese throughout NYC's five boroughs?
Should that not be the responsibility of the FAA and the aerospace industry to insure their planes are "safe" for travel?
It seems the PANYNJ's main responsibility should be to insure that trains, buses and planes arrive and depart on time.
If we want to stretch their responsibilities to include more, then perhaps an argument can be made that the PANYNJ has some obligation to insure that runways and airports are safe for landings and departures.
But, contracting with paid killers (USDA) to invade city parks within 7 miles of an airport to roundup and slaughter geese seems a "responsibility" that goes way outside the normal realms and expectations of a Port Authority.
How did we ever get to this sorry and inexplicable state of affairs?
It seems the Port Authority, the FAA, the aerospace industry and at least one New York Senator have some "s'plaining" to do.
Not to me, necessarily. But to all those urban mothers with small children whose only "connection" to animals and wildlife are the geese and ducks in their local park, to the senior citizens who look to the birds in our parks as companionship and comfort when adult kids have moved away, to romantic couples gazing upon the loving antics of the geese or even to aspiring city rappers who sometimes find their best audience might be a gaggle of geese in the grass or on a frozen lake.
Explain the excuses to them.
So busy are our politicians, agency officials and wildlife killers preparing documents, "bills" and arranging for our so-called "safety" through reckless slaughter that they don't stop to actually look at what is happening around them and what actually matters to people..
One could say they can't see the parks or the humans in them for the geese. -- PCA
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