. . . and several gosling. [?]

Santeria animal sacrifice?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa

And after I RTFA, folks should clean up after themselves and not set fires. Nothing like trying to enjoy a nice spot and have to look at garbage. When I head to some of my fave spots (CP, Stuy Cove) I try to remember to stuff a bag in my pocket, fill it with trash, & dispose. Doesn't excuse the careless folks, but it helps and I feel better.

Could also be a botulism cluster (no harm to the kids unless they eat the maggots). All it takes is one rotting carcass, voila. Water quality would be fine. Recent deaths would be explained, more distant would be tougher. Necropsies, if negative, would point to C. botulinum.

@ ditmas park watcher

It's unfortunate there has been so much dead wildlife, but to simply assume it's due to the lake water is close minded - especially after the parks department JUST tested the water. What do they have to gain by lying? This isn't the NYPD or another corruptible organization, nobody is paying them off to say the water is safe.

There could be a rabid animal, or worse, a human who is serially killing wildlife - or any other numerous reasons for all the dead wildlife. It might be the water - but again, there is lots of proof showing it's NOT the water, and no proof otherwise. It is especially odd that all the wildlife is random - not one species who is susceptible to possible toxins in the water. It would be a different story if there were multiple dogs dropping dead, or fish, or birds - like bird flu, or rabies, or other species specific epidemics.

I walk my dog in the park nearly every day. In the past week, we have seen 3 dead goslings, a dead raccoon, a dead opossum, a dead duck, a dead goose, a dead turtle, and numerous dead fish, all next to the lake. I think there is something wrong in the lake. This is not must "It's nature, Animals sometimes die." The Parks Dept. supposedly tested the water a couple of weeks ago, when there was another spate of dead animals. No results were ever announced, even though the water was tested after the lake had been partially drained and refilled to ensure freshness. This is scary, since children play by the lake and stick their hands in all the time.

Dogs swim in that water every day, and have been for years... Like others have posted - This is nature, animals live and animals die. Finding dead animals does not mean it is unsafe for every other animal (including pets).

when you click through to these "death stalks the park" articles, you usually wind up dealing with the same two concerned citizens. then, if you google them, cuckoo clocks start goin' off - it's kinda weird.

ps - the little crayfish that was killed - did he have a name?

pinchy? some say that crayfish are the poor man's lobster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvkpOCMo7hc&feature=related

“Mammals should not be dying in the lake."

Good job 'One Man', you know the word "mammal" ... doesn't seem like you know much else though. like jaycjay said, animals die sometimes. the more animals we have in the park, the more dead animals we'll find.

dismembered animal parts!!!??? omg, like some animal was EATING OTHER ANIMALS!!??

animals dont each other. humans are to blame here.

Assuming you meant "eat each other," you're an idiot.

And necropsies? Glad my tax dollars are paying for that.

Since I lived in the country upstate for a few years, I can advise the city folk on this: Wherever wild animals live, wild animals will sometimes die.

no because sometimes people kill them, animals would NEVER kill each other. that makes no sense.

I noticed - from signs that were posted - that pesticides were sprayed around the park a few weeks back. Perhaps this made it into the food chain...