If it has been pleasing and refreshing over the past few months to notice the new public awareness and opposition to goose roundups in New York City, it continues to be frustrating to realize most of the country is still pitifully behind in terms of awareness of facts pertinent to both, this issue and the geese themselves.
That is particularly true in the media.
Today, there is this published commentary out of Kansas City:
In it, the writer laments the recent disappearances of all the geese in his area and attributes that to the geese "flying north" due to the intense heat.
But, Canada geese are incapable of flying anywhere from early June to mid July due to the molt and in some cases, raising goslings.
If there is truly "not a goose" to be seen anywhere in Kansas City, (especially after reported nestings and new goslings) one needs to suspect "foul play" this time of year -- particularly, Wildlife Services roundups.
It was suggested to the author of this piece that he immediately get in touch with the USDA Wildlife Services of Kansas to get the facts. If roundups have indeed occurred there, they (the feds) cannot lie about that.
Not to sound boastful or redundant, but one of the primary reasons for writing this blog is to share observances about geese (and other waterfowl) and to help others to better understand what is "normal" and what is not for these creatures of nature.
As noted in recent weeks, it is "normal" for geese to move around somewhat during the summer molt. More than once myself and others have had to walk around an entire lake or Reservoir in search of geese who occasionally move to find food or shade or more jokingly "play hide-n-seek" or "listen to music."
But, it is certainly not "normal" for geese to fly anywhere (or disappear entirely) during the molting season.
If completely surveying a large area over several days (from June to mid July) and not finding any geese where only days before there were many, one needs to suspect not that the geese "flew away," but rather they were taken away.
Ignorance is not bliss for the animals who ultimately become victims of people's denials or wishful thinking.
Those city officials and USDA personnel planning and carrying out (mostly clandestine) goose roundups and slaughters depend upon the public remaining unaware and uninformed.
Far better for the people like Mr. Gusewelle to believe the geese magically "flew away" than to actually realize their tax dollars were squandered and their neighborhood geese ruthlessly rounded up in a secret government slaughter. (I don't know these actions actually occurred in Kansas City based upon the little and sketchy information provided. Its also possible the man didn't look very far for the geese. But, that is part of the problem: Little information provided and at least part of that information is clearly wrong.)
Media needs to get its act together, start actual fact checking and asking questions and we the public need to demand these things from them.
After all, if media cannot get the facts straight on the geese, what else are they misreporting? -- PCA
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