Dogs -- man's best friend -- are the hoped for solution to flocks of wandering Canada Geese that are fouling grounds of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
As the mess from flocks of geese is spreading on the mall grounds, the National Park Service sees border collies as the answer, and is seeking your thoughts on the proposed goose roundup and drive.
"The project would use border collies at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument grounds and John F. Kennedy Hockey Fields to haze the Mall's large and growing Canada goose population into moving to other parts of the park," Park Service spokesman Mike Litterest wrote in a release.
Public comments are being accepted online at this site through April 22.
According to Mr. Litterest, "Large flocks of resident Canada geese around the National Mall leave excessive goose droppings, as much as 2-3 pounds per goose per day. More than a nuisance to pedestrians, the droppings damage the pumps and filters of the Reflecting Pool; degrade the park's natural and cultural resources; and their feces have potential to create a public health hazard. With the assistance of the border collies, which are bred to herd sheep and have a natural instinct to round up flocks of geese, the geese will be encouraged to abandon the lawns and water in these areas and relocate elsewhere. No birds will be physically harmed during the hazing process."
Comments may also be submitted in writing to:
Karen Cucurullo, Acting Superintendent
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Attn: Goose Control
900 Ohio Drive SW
Washington, DC 20024
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Comments
The public has mixed feelings about resident flocks of Canada geese in public open spaces. Some people like to see them, others complain for the reasons described above. Finding solutions that will satisfy animal rights groups has been difficult. The dogs are certainly worth a try.
So dogs aren't fouling the National Mall? I'm not too sure about that one...
This source says about 1.5 pounds per goose per day, and even that's a lot when multiplied by very many geese. Could be that there's so much fertilizer running downhill onto the mall from that building with a big dome nearby that the grass these geese eat is a lot lusher than average, and hence their exhaust emissions are increased as well :-)