Thursday, July 26, 2012

It Takes the US Army (to hault USDA goose killing)

What does it take to stop USDA Wildlife Services when they are on a goose killing rampage?

Apparently, it takes the US Army:

http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/dp-nws-eustis-langley-gas-geese-20120726,0,2976830.story

Although USDA goose roundups have ended in New York City for this summer, they have not ended elsewhere.



How, one might wonder, does USDA round up geese who can fly?

The use of "sedatives" and wonder drugs as the article cites.

Load the geese up with drugs so they are incapable of flying and can be easily grabbed.

Other options are baiting the geese with food and capturing them with rocket nets as USDA did in New Jersey last year in early fall.

It's all part of the not-so-little "bag of tricks" that Wildlife Services employs to round up geese almost any time of the year.

But, apparently the little bag of tricks didn't impress the US Army too much who in restrained and professional fashion, called for a suspension of USDA goose killing activities.

Said Army spokesperson, Col, Christian Kubick, "Euthanizing geese is the last option anyone should take."

(Of course, "euthanizing" is the USDA's misapplied word, not the Army's. The Army has no way of knowing what happens to the geese rounded up, anymore than we in NYC know what ultimately happened to 1200+ geese rounded up from here two weeks ago.)

Personally, I feel proud of the US Army for stepping up and taking action to stop something both barbaric and unnecessary.

That only we could borrow the good Col. Kubick to defend the geese in New York City.

It seems it would require an army to stop what has become so entrenched in our city, especially over the past three years.

But, lacking an actual military, we will sorely need an army of outraged citizens next year to hopefully speak out and stop anticipated goose culls.

That is, assuming we still have resident Canada geese in NYC next year to defend from USDA culls. -- PCA


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