In a classic case of human arrogance, officials in a New Jersey town are planning a mass slaughter of a flock of geese because these birds have simply dared to spend time in a local park.
If this plan is allowed to go through, approximately 60 geese will be rounded up, stuffed in a chamber, and suffocated to death with carbon dioxide.
Sign the petition to demand the Liberty Park goose slaughter be stopped!
The town where the geese have landed for the summer is called Peapack-Gladstone, located in the northern part of New Jersey. The healthy, happy flock have settled into Liberty Park which boasts beautiful, lush lawns for them to snack on and a freshwater pond for them to drink and swim. It’s no wonder they have chosen this place to rest and raise their young.
But instead of investing in affordable, humane, and sustainable options for managing wildlife, town officials have opted for a crueler, quicker approach — kill them all.
Officials claim that the fecal matter from this flock pose a threat to water safety and overall health of the community. But local animal advocates and welfare organizations, including the Animal Protection League of New Jersey, are fighting hard against this completely inappropriate plan because they know there are better solutions than mass slaughter.
Strategic landscaping, barriers, and trained bird dogs (like those that are used at airports to dispel birds from runways) are methods of wildlife management that are both more humane and more effective. Large-scale euthanasia has been proven ineffective time and time again — other flocks will surely come to the same haven that these geese have spotted, and the killing will continue. Why not prepare the park for the long term, preserving its beauty, health, and animal life with it?
Non-lethal alternatives are the right thing to do, for animal welfare and sustainable management of our communities. Officials must put in the time and effort to invest in these solutions, instead of the quick and easy way out of killing innocent geese!
Please add your name to the petition demanding that Mayor Mark Corigliano and the Peapack-Gladstone Town Council stop the plans to slaughter the geese at Liberty Park!
This article by Mathew Davis was first published by One Green Planet on 27 June 2024. Image Credit :Gunter Nuyts/ShutterstocImage Credit :PabouV/Shutterstock.
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