Summer of Hell for Geese and Other Parks Wildlife

Papa goose,(center) keeping watch over his flock two weeks ago at the Boat Lake.

The male domestic duck at Boat Lake -- now suffering loss of his mate.

This is the summer of hell in New York City.

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No, I am not talking about scorching 90+ degree temperatures and swamp-like humidity over the past week.

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I am taking about government sponsored goose massacres -- along with loss, injury and endless harassment to other park wildlife.

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We lost Papa goose this past week at the Boat Lake in Central Park.

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My friend, Liliana, found Papa last Wednesday, seemingly disoriented and wandering along a pedestrian path in the Rambles (which is adjoined to the Boat Lake). 

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Alarmed, when grabbing Papa and finding what appeared to be an infected wound under his wing covered in maggots, Liliana called the Park Rangers for assistance.

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Fortunately, a park ranger shortly arrived with a carrier and transported Papa to the Wild Bird Fund on Columbus Avenue.

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(41) Wild Bird Fund, Inc.

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Papa was cleaned up and initially treated for what appeared to be an infected dog bite wound.

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But, shortly thereafter, Papa died before a second examination (for lead and other contaminates) could be conducted.

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(Apparently, the Wild Bird Fund has two other geese, one of whom is being treated for "high lead" contaminants and was initially confused with Papa. Liliana was mistakenly told that the "high lead" goose was Papa.)

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It was obviously a bad sign that Papa was found wandering by himself away from his flock.

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As leader of the 12 molting geese at the Boat Lake this summer, Papa's entire being was completely devoted to them. -- Papa would never leave his gaggle unless something was seriously wrong.

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I called the Wild Bird Fund today and finally got word of Papa's passing.

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Unfortunately, geese (and other animals) are very good at hiding their pain until (in many cases), it is too late to save them.

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Neither Liliana nor myself had any inkling that Papa was suffering any injury or illness, as he was always alert, responsive, in command of his flock and extremely social.

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Since the wound (and maggots) were under the wing, they were not detectable on casual observation.  

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We grieve the loss of this majestic, proud, magnanimous and always loving gander who (in my case) had been observed and revered since he and his mate, "Mama" raised six goslings in Turtle Pond in the summer of 2010.  (Papa is the goose pictured with his goslings on my Facebook badge.)

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Sadly, Mama too, was lost over the past year, but not from Central Park.  We don't know what happened to Mama as she has not been seen since the flock left Central Park last August after regaining their flight feathers. 

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Neither, Mama nor Papa were young geese.  I had been told by another wildlife observer that the devoted pair had tried to bear young at Turtle Pond for many years before finally being successful.  (In years previous and since, Mama and Papa's eggs had been oiled.)

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I am glad that Mama and Papa had been able to successfully raise one gaggle of goslings.

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It is mostly these grown offspring and a few other geese who survive at the Boat Lake today. 

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But, they are surely grieving the loss of their Papa and flock leader.

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When going to the Boat Lake the other morning, the flock, for the first time, remained on the Island rock in the middle of the lake and did not come to greet me.  It is a time of loss and mourning for them.

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But, geese are not the only birds mourning loss at the Boat Lake these days.

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The female of the two domestic ducks at the Boat Lake for the past year also vanished last week and is now presumed dead.  Her mate, (obviously distressed) searched and frantically called for her over a period of several days, but now seems to be attempting to assimilate himself with the mallards and remaining geese at the Boat Lake.

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Life, for animals in nature, does not allow for long times grieving loss. They have to adapt and seek new ways for survival as is evident from the loner goose, Cago, at Harlem Meer during the molt. Cago obviously and recently lost his mate or flock, (probably to a USDA cull) but has had to make do by assimilation with ducks.

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And so, the death toll and injury to Central Park waterfowl continues to rise this spring and summer, despite New York City's most prestigious park not succumbing to an actual USDA goose cull.

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We have now lost Wiggly and Honker, (two of the domestic ducks at Harlem Meer), the female domestic duck from the Boat Lake, a goose at Harlem Meer in the spring ensnared with fishing line and tackle around bill and worst of all, Papa goose.

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And to add further misery to all this, there is a reported Double Breasted Cormorant at the Boat Lake this morning with dangling fishing line hanging from his bill.

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All of this has again been reported to Central Park Conservancy.

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Of course, it is not the Conservancy's fault that some fishermen and dog owners continue to flaunt park rules and treat the wildlife of our parks as if the animals are solely there for harassment and/or the taking.

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But, I have been assured that enforcement patrols will be assigned to the Boat Lake  (where some dogs owners encourage their dogs to charge at the waterfowl in the lake) and that long overdue Fishing Rules signs will finally be posted at this location (as they already are at Harlem Meer.)

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Sadly, it always seems to require actual documented death of wildlife to finally get things done as was the case with the fishing rule sign posting at Harlem Meer last year.

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While a Park Ranger has  been assigned to the Boat Lake to search and try to save the Cormorant, reality is that these birds are particularly difficult to capture.

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Prevention is the key to saving wildlife in our parks, because, as noted, by the time the animals are weak enough to be captured, they are usually too ill or injured to be saved -- as tragically was the case with Papa.

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The temperatures continue to rise in New York City with little relief in sight.

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And though wildlife may be stressed and discomforted with extremes in weather, the real threats come to the animals in our parks, not from nature, but walking predators on two legs.

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This truly is the "summer of hell" in New York City -- even in a park, that otherwise, has the gumption  to stand up to deliberate and brutal government sponsored wildlife massacres. 

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Bring us back the peace and tranquility of bitter winter cold and winds -- the time when the two-legged predators finally leave and the birds and other wildlife of our parks need only worry about dealing with the elements.

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Elements nature well equips them to handle. -- PCA 

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Transparency, Accountability and Honesty, Foreign Words to USDA WS

That only the geese could talk -- the truths they would tell.

 

Transparency, accountability and honesty.

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Above are three words that don't appear to exist in the vocabulary of the USDA Wildlife Services.

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If one scrolls through hundreds of articles posted on (27) GooseWatch NYC or (61) Call of the Canada Geese, one will notice a common thread:

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That is that the typical wildlife carnage conducted by USDA WS (most notably, Canada goose roundups for slaughter or gassing) are done without community notification or input (i.e. transparency).  

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Citizens simply awake one morning to find all of the geese of their local park, college campus, wildlife "refuge," or community lake gone.

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In those cases where people question or notify the media, an article sometimes results.

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Those journalists actually bothering to take a little time to investigate will usually report that a contract was taken out on the geese for "removal" and "euthanasia" by city or town officials and the USDA. 

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Then there is the rush for excuses:

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"The geese poop!" or "Someone complained!" or (in the case of NYC), "The geese fly into planes!"

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But, usually the press does not bother to question or investigate the reasons given for the "cull" or actual evidence to the claims.

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Rather, reporters just run USDA statements verbatim -- including the claim of "euthanasia" despite the fact that neither gassing nor slaughter of healthy animals represents "euthanasia" even when loosely applied.

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Sometimes distraught citizens hold memorials for the slain geese or set up Facebook pages dedicated to them.

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But, in time (as NY State Director of APHIS, USDA Wildlife Services, Martin Lowney, asserts) people "move on" and all is generally forgotten -- until the following year when similar roundups are likely to reoccur.

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And the cycle starts all over again.

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Certainly, we in New York City are well accustomed to the annual USDA goose roundups now.

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So much so that some newspapers now report them with, "Its that time of year again!" -- as if the citizens of NYC should view goose massacres as some kind of annual event like July 4th fireworks or the Macy's Thanksgiving parade:

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http://gothamist.com/2013/07/02/annual_goose_culling_is_underway_in.php

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And sadly, as the years have passed and now thousands of NYC geese have been either gassed or slaughtered at the hands of USDA WS, media coverage has become even more anemic, accepting and acting more as a mouthpiece for government sponsored wildlife slaughters than a watchdog to it.

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All USDA has to say is "Captain Sully" and the NYC media laps it up like a Cocker Spaniel puppy.

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It is now July 15th and presumably USDA goose roundups are over for this year in New York City.

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But, even this we do not know as "fact."

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We do know that at least five hundred New York City geese were sent to their deaths so far this summer.

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But, with the exceptions of Jamaica Bay Wildlife "Refuge," Inwood Park and a small park on Manhattan's West Side, we don't know the actual locations nor do we know complete numbers.   (And the only reason we know three targeted locations is due to citizen eye witnesses.)

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It is all one big, nearly perfectly kept secret. 

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And indeed, the only reason more New Yorkers are not protesting the goose massacres is because even years after the fact, most New Yorkers are not even the slightest bit aware of them.

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Government "transparency and accountability?"

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It is more like, Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

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As for "honesty" on the part of USDA, we have been through that movie many times before.  But below is another, more recent example of USDA "openness and honesty:" 

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According to USDA WS spokesperson, Carol Bannerman, "The USDA killed 290 geese from New York City in 2012 -- 285 fewer than in 2011."  (Emphasis supplied.)

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http://theforumnewsgroup.com/2013/07/11/jamaica-bay-geese-killings-enrage-animal-rights-advocates-defended-by-feds/

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Ms. Bannerman fails to mention the 751 geese USDA rounded up and slaughtered from Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in 2012.

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The address for Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is:  175-10 Cross Bay Blvd. Queens, NY. 11693.

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Someone should inform Bannerman that Queens is one of the five boroughs of New York City. -- But, she most likely already knows this.

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Once again, we have either blatant lie on the part of USDA or deliberate attempt to mislead and deceive both, the media and the public.

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But, do reporters every bother to question or actually research the statements from USDA?

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No.

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Why, after all, should a reporter have to look up "euthanasia" in a dictionary?  Or, look on a map of New York City to see where Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is located? 

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Whatever USDA says it is so, must be so.

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Just don't bother to question the truth and facts of it. 

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  -- PCA

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Cago -- A Canada Goose Rising Against the Adversity

"Cago" -- Alone, but a courageous survivor.

Cago (left) with his new pals, Connie, Carol,Cochise and Conner)

 

In its goose mitigation documents, the USDA Wildlife Services usually refers to Canada geese as "Cago" in abbreviated form.

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With that in mind, I have thus named the lone Canada goose at Harlem Meer over the summer molt, Cago.

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It is suspected that this one Canada goose (who arrived at the Meer around the same time, USDA roundups of geese began in New York City) is likely a lone survivor of goose massacre occurring elsewhere.

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Although most flock birds are highly distressed when suddenly separated from their flocks and may have a difficult time surviving as "loner" birds, Canada geese, it seems, have had to learn to adapt to this now too common scenario.

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Recently, at Lake Vista, Va for example, one lone Canada goose survived a USDA roundup which otherwise sent all 66 of his flock mates to gas chambers: 

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(121) Goosewatch VA

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The photos on the above site of a now empty lake with just one goose are desolate and sad, but they are not unusual. 

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For several years in this blog, I have documented a number of "loner geese" who have mysteriously arrived at Central Park -- usually at the time of USDA goose roundups around the city.

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When first seeing these (obviously stressed) geese, I was concerned that they might not ultimately make it as reliance on and cooperation with flock, is so integral to Canada goose survivability.

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But, all of the loner geese have made it through the tough times. 

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When eventually regaining flight, the geese usually look to join a passing or visiting goose flock.   However, "acceptance" into a new flock takes time.  For weeks or even a month or two, the "loner" goose has to accept a very submissive position in the gaggle (i.e. last goose on totem pole) and usually swims or stays respectfully in back of the pack or around the outer perimeters.

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Such geese are the last to eat and can sometimes be picked on by other members of the gaggle or family (somewhat like college hazings in humans.)

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But, eventually, acceptance does occur, as recently took place at the Boat Lake in Central Park where an "outsider" goose was ultimately welcomed into the flock of 12 led by Papa goose, originally of Turtle Pond.

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Unfortunately, "Cago" was not so fortunate to find an already established goose gaggle at Harlem Meer to go through the molt with.

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Cago was indeed, a sorry sight when first arriving at the Meer.

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Traumatized, scared and likely grieving the loss of mate or flock, Cago could usually be observed keeping a very low profile either in the water or standing alone at the edges of the lake.

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Several times Cago was chased by off-leash dogs into the water and other times, he simply presented a lonely and forlorn figure along the lake embankments.  When in the water, it was not unusual to see -- and hear, Cago searching and calling out for his lost brethren.

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But, of course, there were no replies to his calls that simply drifted off and became lost into the still night air.

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But, slowly, over the past few weeks, matters have begun to change.

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As noted in a previous blog entry, Cago found appreciation from a mama mallard who, along with her two tiny ducklings, sought Cago out for a sense of security and protection. (Mama would leave her ducklings with Cago, when taking time to chase off other mallards.)

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And most recently, Cago has found sense of security and acceptance with the four remaining domestic ducks at Harlem Meer (Cochise, Conner, Connie and Carol).  

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Perhaps because all six birds are flightless (at this time) there is some comradery and sense of purpose.  The ducks likely appreciate having the goose around for added sense of security and protection and Cago is able to enjoy some sense of flock -- even though not with his own kind.

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But, whatever the reasons for the unlikely alliance, Cago spends nearly every night now roosting with the four domestics at the fenced in protected grassy area near the Dana Center and awakens with them each morning.

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Cago has made the harsh adjustment of having to survive the molt as a solitary Canada goose without a flock.

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Life (or more specifically, USDA WS) dealt lemons to Cago, but he has managed to make lemonade.

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As for the other scurrilous activities of USDA and its destructive actions against the wildlife of our state, please read this:

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http://scarsdale.patch.com/groups/wild-things/p/2013-a-bad-summer-for-geese-and-other-birds?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook

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And it is not just animal activists displeased with the deadly actions and wildlife mismangement of USDA WS, but The Audubon Society as well:

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 http://nycaudubon.org/issues-of-concern/canada-goose-extripation

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Truth be told, Canada geese are the poster animal of all that has gone wrong with our "mitigation" and "management" of wildlife in New York and elsewhere around the country.  

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But, Cago is the symbol of the ever resilient and adaptable Canada goose's ability to rise against the ever persecution and adversity.   -- PCA

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Kill First and Ask Questions Later -- Wildlife Services Gasses Geese from College Campus

"Euthanasia?" -- The only terminal disease Canada geese are suffering from is the endless stream of lies and propaganda used to rationalize the killing of them.

 

Add to the ever growing list of citizens traumatized by USDA goose roundups in their communities, students on a college campus.

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100 Canada geese were recently rounded up and gassed from the campus of Chattanooga  State College in Tennessee  -- something displeasing to many of the students from the comments posted to this video:

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http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22808151/nearly-100-geese-killed-after-being-rounded-from-chattanooga-state

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2013/jul/11/college-geese-killed/

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But, not only did still another secret WS goose roundup occur, but the USDA appears to have lied about what would we done with the geese.

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Virtually, all of the college administrators and even the college President claim they "had no idea" the geese would be killed as they had been told by USDA the geese would be "relocated."

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Reportedly, USDA changed the plan at the last minute claiming that all possible relocation areas were "full."

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But, the questions remain:

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Did USDA WS deliberately mislead the decision makers at Chattanooga State College or did officials simply fail to ask simple and basic questions -- such as, "Where will the geese be relocated?"  

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This story is just breaking around Tennessee and it appears now that the questions that should have raised before the roundup are being asked now.

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But, isn't that always the way, unfortunately?

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In our haste to "get rid of"  wildlife for human convenience even those positioned in the institutions of higher learning in our country are failing to ask questions that might occur to the average third grader ("Where will the geese go, Mommy?).

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And such a lesson to the future leaders of our country:

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That lies and massacres are acceptable for human convenience and money-making.

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As for who is telling the truth in the "He said, She said" scenario, (USDA claiming they mentioned "euthanasia" as one of two options and college officials claiming they had no knowledge of possible killing), we have to believe the college administrators.

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After all, the USDA term, "euthanasia" to refer to healthy geese rounded up and gassed is a lie in and unto itself.

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And if USDA officials can continually lie about a simple word definition, then it needs to be presumed there is nothing they would not hesitate to lie about -- such as what they actually told the college administrators.

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One can be quite certain USDA said nothing to indicate the 100 geese were being "relocated" to their deaths.  -- PCA

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The Long, Sordid History of USDA Wildlife Services

The long, sordid war on Canada geese is, in reality, just the tip of the iceberg.

A few days ago, the following was posted in comment to  (61) Call of the Canada Geese :

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"The NY Canada Goose Environmental Assessment says 'while the biological carrying capacity for resident Canada geese in NY may be greater than the statewide population, the 'wildlife acceptance capacity' (WAC) is probably lower.'    So that means the environment can support the population and the only reason for killing is people don't find the goose population acceptable...which is no wonder given the lies spewed by the USDA about them and the fact they don't teach communities humane methods of managing their population." 

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Rarely are truer statements posted on Facebook pages and indeed there are certain terms from this we need to remember, such as "Wildlife Acceptance Capacity" (WAC).

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As the writer correctly points out, this has nothing to do with whether a species (such as Canada geese) has reproduced beyond the environment's ability to support it. It has everything to do with human tolerance and acceptance of natural wildlife as the very name implies.

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For a number of years now, it has been the goal of the Department of the Interior and numerous other state and city agencies to "reduce" by 2/3rds, the number of geese allowed to breathe in New York State:

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Officials Plan to Eliminate 170,000 Canada Geese in New York - NYTimes.com

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And yet, even at its highest number, according to the statement above, ..."the biological carrying capacity for resident Canada geese in NY may be greater than the statewide population."

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In other words, even at 250,00, Canada geese would not be overpopulating their environment in New York State.

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So, what does it say that we would endeavor to "reduce" by 2/3rds (to 75,000) an already low population of geese for the environment supporting them? 

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It says that we humans must have a shockingly low tolerance and "acceptance" of natural wildlife.  -- Either that, or we are not making our beliefs and values known to our political representatives.

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Moreover,  though there are many people (most notably, political conservatives) who seem to shun nearly everything the federal government stands for, these same people are often among the very first to "call in the feds" when they want animals (including geese) killed for becoming inconvenient. 

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But, of course, this is ultimately not a "conservative" or "liberal" issue as much as it is a social issue of human tolerance and acceptance.

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And yet our history of wildlife acceptance seems a sorry one with almost constant reliance on the federal government to secretly "get rid of animals" whom we have deemed some kind of "nuisance" or inconvenience.

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And no one performs these secret wildlife exterminations better than USDA Wildlife Services.

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Rather than me attempting to write out the long, sordid history of Wildlife Services, the guys at Predator Defense.org have done a much better job than I could hope to do.

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Please take the time to visit their web site and read carefully and fully.

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http://www.predatordefense.org/USDA.htm

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And then consider that their focus is the war on predators in this country -- especially coyotes.

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They barely touch our war on the bird life in the United States -- especially our beleaguered and forever maligned Canada geese.  -- PCA

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"If It Doesn't Make Sense, It is Not True" (Goose Carnage Defies Common Sense)

As Bald Eagles (our national symbol) were deemed "vermin" in past centuries and nearly wiped out in the United States, Canada geese have been declared the new 21st Century "pest" to be targeted and nearly extirpated.

My favorite TV personality is Judge Judy Sheindlin.

She is noted for saying, "If it doesn't make sense, it is usually not true."

One imagines the famous judge would have a field day with USDA WS as virtually none of the excuses they offer up for goose massacres around the country make any sense.

For examples:

"Airline Safety."  

CAUSES OF PLANE CRASHES: "50% pilot error, 7% other human error, 12% weather, Mechanical failure 22%, sabotage 9%, all others less than 1%." 

Bird strikes actually compose 0.68% of causes for plane crashes. And of these, Canada geese represent a tiny percentage of that miniscule figure. 

Of course, much hoopla and justification for goose kills occurred following the "Miracle on the Hudson" incident in January of 2009. 

But, in that case an airliner (which on the previous flight experienced "engine stall" problems and almost had to emergency land),  collided with two migratory geese from Labrador, Canada.  Passengers report scare on earlier US Airways Flight 1549 - CNN

Planes frequently hit birds, but almost never land in rivers. 

That this one did, should have raised alarm bells among the media and the powers that be, but tragically didn't.

Since 2009, thousands of resident Canada geese have been ruthlessly rounded up and massacred in New York City with not one human made "safer" when traveling on an airliner.

Yesterday's plane crash in San Francisco illustrates this point.  -- A crash almost certainly involving pilot error and/or mechanical issue:   http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2013/07/06/airline-crash-san-francisco/2495099/

Moreover, had we killed every resident goose in the United
States prior to the 2009, "Miracle on the Hudson," it would not have prevented the incident that involved migratory birds from another country and a mechanically compromised plane. 

Surely, Judge Judy would ask, "Why are you killing the rabbits when it was the gas tank that blew up the car?"

"Goose Poop" 

Geese are grazers and grass eaters.  Their droppings are comprised of mostly recycled grass. The droppings have no odor and often appear like mud.  While mud is usually not pleasant to walk through, it is not harmful to human health.  Neither are goose droppings. When composted, goose droppings serve as cheap and effective grass fertilizer.   But, here is the bottom line:  Every living creature on the earth (including humans) poops.   That we would specifically target one species for massacre because of this, in Judge Judy's words, "makes no sense."   

One could just imagine the famous judge saying,  "My two little dogs poop!  Are you going to kill them, too?"

"Destruction of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Salt Marshes."  

USDA WS and their accomplices are obviously seeking other justifications for killing geese as the ones they have offered up so far are full of holes. 

I cannot personally say what is causing damage to JBWR salt marshes, but it makes no sense that the wildlife and waterfowl this area was created to "protect" would be the cause of wetland habitat destruction.  Especially (as pointed out yesterday) waterfowl flying into the area for six weeks out of an entire year to molt.   

Last year, more than 700 geese were killed from JBWR.  And yet, they claim to still have "problems" this year. 

Could it be the hurricane that struck NYC last year and caused billions of dollars of waterfront damage and destruction?  Could it be sewage runoff damage?   It is not for me to say.  

But, it is for any thinking person to question how waterfowl causes "destruction" to wetlands and waterfront properties -- their natural habitats.    It makes zero sense.  

One could hear Judge Judy ask, "Do fish destroy the oceans?"

"The Geese are Overabundant." 

From the New York Observer, 7-3-13:

"The government is apparently trying to nearly halve the Canada goose population in 17 Atlantic states, to 650,000 from 1.1 million." 

 

 One needs to imagine the bureaucrats sitting behind desks in Washington and figuring out the "optimum" population of any species. Thousands of species are headed towards extinction, but apparently Canada geese have done fairly well despite climate change, loss of natural habitat and hunting.

What then? " KILL 'Em!" the bureaucrats clamor!

There was a time when the powers that be determined that all birds of prey were "vermin" and needed to be extirpated in this country.

By the 1960's there were for example, only 400 breeding pairs of bald eagles in the United States.

Not wanting to see the nation's national symbol wiped out from both hunting and the deadly effects of DDT, the congress and the President (Nixon) finally passed laws for environmental protection and the banning of DDT in the early 70's. 

Yes, the eagles have apparently been saved and have since been removed from the Endangered Species List.

But, now the new target for extirpation is Canada geese.

No, the government is not seeking to wipe out Canada geese entirely as the birds are still a desirable hunting target.

But, like the eagles and other raptors, the geese have been depicted and declared "pests" and in some cases, even vermin.  No doubt the "war" against the geese is very much on as it was against our national symbol a hundred years ago.

But, let us consider what eventually happened to Passenger Pigeons who at one time existed in the hundreds of millions.  The last one went extinct early in the last century.

A little more than one million Canada geese for the entire east coat doesn't seem like a huge number -- especially when one considers we get more than a million people at a typical Times Square New Year's Eve celebration.

Judge Judy probably wouldn't ask the question, but I am:

What happens when these same bureaucrats figure out that the human population is "overabundant?"

"Feed the Hungry" 

Of all the rationalizations for wild goose carnage in NYC, this is the most laughable and disturbing.   In fact, even Martin Lowney of USDA admitted in a phone conversation last year that the geese "yield so little edible meat" it was not a reason for roundups.   

The typical Canada goose weighs more than ten pounds -- and yet only provides less than one pound of meat.

The (taxpayer) costs of rounding up, transportation, slaughtering and distributing these birds for human consumption ultimately makes Canada geese more expensive than caviar to "feed the poor."  (And that is not counting costs to ideally "test" the geese for pesticides, PCBs, mercury and lead contaminations.) 

Apparently, instead of testing the geese for toxins, "warning labels" are put on the meat to " not eat more than once a month."  Perhaps they should really read, "Eat at your own risk and possible peril."  

What would Judge Judy ask of this sham?   "When are you rounding up park squirrels and robins for human consumption?"

Yesterday, I wrote of absurdities to explain atrocity.

It was simply a more philosophical way of saying, "If it doesn't make sense, it is usually not true."

Only when it comes to USDA WS roundups and massacres of park and wetlands Canada geese, one can omit the word, "usually."  -- PCA

                                                            


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