State decides to euthanize park geese for them to become meals for food bank

100 to 300 geese at two parks in Maryland will soon be euthanized and turned into food to be served at a food banks, according to WTOP.

Authorities have decided to take this measure after non-lethal methods over the years have failed to control the massive population of geese.

"We didn't jump to this method," David Petersen, natural resources specialist for Montgomery Parks, told WTOP. "It's not something we take lightly."

Excessive feces is one of the main problems the parks face with the geese. Their grazing can also be damaging to turf and athletic fields. The protective geese can also be a threat to small children at times.

"For a number of years we've been trying to control the geese and the issues they bring," Petersen said. "We've had everything from mess management to habitat landscape manipulation, some control devices such as sprinklers and bubblers in the ponds at MLK. All these things have been marginally effective."

But the method is being met with controversy. The Humane Society of the United States has expressed concern, preferring the park continue to use non-lethal methods.

"For us it's the first time we've used this method, but it is by no means unprecedented in our area," Petersen explained.

"Throughout the region, this is a control method that's been used for decades," he said. "It's used anywhere from local agencies up to federal agencies, as well as private entities, homeowners associations not only in the region but also in the country, too."

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