Geese Police Coming to Central Park

If you see some adorable border collies bothering Canada geese in Central Park this April, you may have seen the Geese Police. The Parks Department will be conducting a one-month pilot program "using an environmentally-safe method to attempt to reduce the number of geese in Central Park": Using border collies to drive geese away!

The border collies, part of the Geese Police, Inc (motto: "Call Us to Get the Flock Out"), never touch the geese - they just try to herd them up. The Humane Society and the USDA Office of Wildlife Services approve of using dogs to herd up geese, as well as education (like, don't feed geese, or else they stay), as methods for Canada goose management.

The Geese Police FAQ is awesome:

Q: Why can't I use my dog (or other breed?)
A: We only use working Border Collies because it is the only dog breed among other herding dogs that use a wolf-like glance called the ``eye". This intense stare influences the flock into flight or movement. The geese perceive this stalking manner as predatory behavior and threatening. But actually, the geese are never touched and are perfectly safe. In fact, all other dogs are perceived as nuisance or just not predatory.

Q: Do you harass the goslings (baby geese)?
A: We don't really harass the goslings. We harass their parents. Our harassment techniques are approved by USDA Wildlife Service and US Fish and Wildlife. In addition, the Humane Society and PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) endorse these techniques.

Q: Where do the geese flock to after being harassed from my site?
A: Somewhere where they are not bothered because geese are lazy animals and don't like to move repeatedly.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said, "As with all wildlife that inhabit or migrate through City parkland, Canada geese area protected from hunting and attack by humans. But their increasing presence on lawns and meadows can damage lawns and leaves them fouled by droppings. Their increased presence also poses environmental problems due to the high levels of nitrogen in geese droppings."

Not only do geese droppings in bodies of water change the water chemistry, geese overgraze in certain other areas. And if there's one thing the park loves, it's its expensive lawn.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on March 27, 2007 2:01 PM

Comments [rss]

Stephanie Boyles

Kudos to the Parks Department for its compassionate and progressive decision to humanely control Canada goose populations in Central Park.

Non-lethal goose control methods are more humane, less expensive, and more effective. Killing geese does nothing to prevent more of them from moving into an area the following year. Making areas unappealing to geese, as the Parks Department is doing by working with the Geese Police, often results in geese abandoning an area permanently.

For a free copy of PETA's Canada goose report, which contains helpful tips on dealing humanely with goose conflicts, visit www.HelpingWildlife.com

Stephanie Boyles

Wildlife Biologist

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Misanthropic Scott

Interestingly, the Canada Geese, unlike Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows, Mute Swans, and Norway Rats, are a native species. Why should we be trying to get rid of them.

I think this is a really bad idea. Let's leave wildlife along on this one tiny square in the middle of a huge megalopolis of concrete.

And, no, I'm not a PETA member. They're too extreme for my tastes. I am, however, very concerned with protecting wildlife.

Still Not Amused

Lol, #10, #6 You have issues .

ed_Extinct

#6: you need help before you hurt someone.

nick

i wonder if they'll announce when the dogs are doing it.. i'd like to root the dog on.

nisey79

Is there a link to this announcement? I didn't see anything about it on the Geese Police website.

Lilitu

Pace University's Pleasantville campus has been doing this for ages. It does seem to work, and the dogs love doing it. Win-win situation, I think.

jmchez

How cute (and wasteful)! This problem would have been solved long ago if we just hunted the geese like we would have before we started pretending that dirty flying poop factories have rights.

Some of the guys here remind me of the CSI New York episode whre a guy who lived in an apartment with thoussands and thousands of roaches, killed his boss because that man wanted to squash a giant cockroack that had been brought to his fine restaurant.

Chimpeach!

Hey maybe we can send some of these geese to scare GW Bush outta the White House. God knows the asshole bastard doesn't pay heed to anyone or anything else.

ed_Extinct

I do not support PETA, but if PETA endorses this, then anyone who complains otherwise should move on out of this city.

hr

knowing this is new york, and new yorkers love to complain ... somewhere, somehow, somebody is getting together something on their (insert complaint group's) letterhead.

Spot

Woof! Woof!

Patrick

Kudos to the Central Park and NYC Parks Dept for taking a humane route towards geese control! It's so sad that some other parks around the control chooses to hunt them instead. Thanks Central Park and NYC Parks Dept!