Geese Police Coming to Jim Barnett Park's Wilkins Lake

WINCHESTER, VA (07/30/2014)(readMedia)-- The Winchester Parks and Recreation Department has called in the Geese Police to HUMANELY deal with aggressive and dirty geese creating a nuisance at the Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau's Visitor's Center. The Geese Police will be on-site Thursday, July 31st to begin the two week flock's eviction process. The Visitor's Center adjoins Jim Barnett Park's Wilkins Lake. The grasslands adjacent to the Lake serves as an attractive nesting place for the Canadian goose. However, their contestant grazing and resulting debris has created an unpleasant odor and littered grounds. In large flocks, the geese have been bold and at times aggressive toward the out-of-town guests visiting the Center. The flock's behavior has created a strong need to persuade the geese to move to another area.

The Geese Police uses properly trained Border Collies, whose persistent herding techniques have proven successful in removing the geese from park grasslands. The geese actually perceive the Border Collie as predators because of the wolf-like glance they use to influence the flock, called the "Eye". The geese, although perfectly safe, believe their life is in imminent danger, and quickly leave the property. Herding the geese off the Visitor Center property is the easy part, though this will not solve the over-population problem. The Winchester Parks and Recreation Department reminds park guests that City Code prohibits the feeding of waterfowl, as it is the people food that attracts the geese, alters the natural migration of waterfowl and domesticates them to become reliant on humans.

The harmless techniques used by the Geese Police are approved by the USDA Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. In addition, The Humane Society of the United States, and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recommend this service as the Border Collies never touch the Geese.

Posted Wednesday July 30, 2014 at 04:13 pm by Winchester Parks and Recreation Department
Last Updated Thursday July 31, 2014 at 07:18 am