(Photo: Ruffian, "the goose with the necklace" back at Central Park last night, along with Mama, Papa and the rest of their loyal gaggle.)
Hugely significant and disturbing article out of Fairhope, Alabama today:
The journalist does an excellent job in trying to determine what actually happened to more than 40 geese in the community whose fates were widely reported to be "discussed" in a meeting on August 8th.
Instead, the geese were covertly drugged, rounded up and supposedly "relocated" to some mystery location (most likely a slaughterhouse or hunting area) last week.
The goose toll would have been much higher, but according to the USDA, a number of geese had flown the coop before WS showed up with their drugs, baited bread and other tricks of the trade.
The thing that makes this article so significant is the way it describes how the community and the press was basically misled (and lied to) by politicians, officials and WS.
Just prior to publication, the reporter was still having difficulty getting straight answers or anyone to actually talk. The suggestion between the lines is that roadblocks were continuing to be put up in effort to keep the facts of the covert goose roundup mostly hidden.
Of course, here in New York City, obfuscations and"hidden facts" are the norms not the exceptions when it comes to "goose management."
One month after NYC goose roundups, we still don't know whether more than 1200 geese were slaughtered, gassed, "euthanized" or sent to Pennsylvania for slaughter.
All of the aforementioned were reported in the media (who at this point appear totally incompetent).
According to the New York Times, only "400" geese were rounded up this year from New York City. This because their numbers were so "low."
"Accuracy in reporting" seems to be something that has "flown the coop" along with the few dozen geese who reportedly escaped the recent roundup in Alabama.
Nor do I personally know for sure, whether geese are currently being harassed in Central Park as they were a year ago around this time -- though most signs appear that way.
Like the press, the public too, gets different answers depending upon who one speaks to.
One can only make guesses these days on actual truth and facts.
However, one little interesting fact over the past day, is that the Mama, Papa and their gaggle (including Ruffian) returned to the Boat Lake yesterday. (More about this joyful event tomorrow).
A little nervous and more wary than the ways we are used to seeing them, the family appears nevertheless, invincible.
Even poor old Mama, despite her age and the odd and frayed look of her wings most of the time, is apparently able to fly away and return when she has to.
Canada geese are truly, truly supreme wonders of nature.
We can only hope that this remarkable and loyal family of geese will be left alone in peace at the Boat Lake in Central Park.
But, like the journalist who wrote the article above, so much is left to conjecture as the path to actual truth and facts is littered with roadblocks, obfuscations and the un-normal. -- PCA
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