The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization with 160,000 members and supporters in Oregon, commends the Bend Park and Recreation District for its decision to adopt nonlethal methods for controlling the population of Canada geese in Bend’s parks. Last year, the district and USDA Wildlife Services officials rounded up and killed 119 geese. The district has stated that this year, nonlethal methods appear to be working, and thus will refrain from using lethal methods.
“Killing geese as a means of trying to control their numbers is inhumane and simply doesn’t work, because no matter how many geese are killed, more will arrive,” said Scott Beckstead, senior Oregon director for The HSUS. “A volunteer-based community program will resolve goose conflicts in a far less costly manner than lethal programs. It is remarkable how the citizens of Bend came together to create a strong voice for the geese. We applaud their hard work, and we are grateful to the district for pursuing humane methods of goose conflict resolution.”
The HSUS has provided guidance and support for the use of nonlethal control methods to the community for the past two years. The HSUS will continue to work collaboratively with the district and community volunteers to address the community’s goose population in a manner that is effective and humane. Those methods include coating eggs with corn oil to prevent them from hatching and using specially trained dogs and human volunteers to chase geese from targeted areas, teaching the birds to spend their time in areas less populated by humans.
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.