Federal agency removes geese from Fairhope beach, euthanizes them

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - Geese — and what they leave behind — have become hot topics at Fairhope Beach. While an environmental board was meeting to find a solution, the city had already taken action and removed some of the geese.

The USDA Wildlife Service removed the geese and a spokesperson with the USDA confirmed the birds were euthanized after their capture.
　
Forty geese, gone

A Fairhope mystery that had many crying foul finally has some answers.

For the past couple of weeks, something hasn’t smelled right to citizens in Fairhope, who have been asking what happened to a large number of the geese that made their home at the beach in Duck Pond.

As it turns out, 40 of the waterfowl were drugged and captured by federal wildlife officials at the beginning of the August.

Carol Scheider, a self-proclaimed goose whisperer, was devastated by the round up. She told us they broke up breeding pairs.

"Now they left them here alone," Schneider said. "The people who did this didn't understand what they were doing."

For years, increasing numbers of non-migratory geese have called Fairhope Beach home. Over that time, the water has been closed numerous times due to contamination, which an Auburn study blamed on the pound of excrement that each goose produces each day.

"If you're going to blame the Canada Geese who are they going to take away next? The seagulls? The herons? The ducks?” Schneider protested, “This is crazy!"

Advisory board in the dark

Jim Horner, Chairman of the Environmental Advisory Board, said, "We've had members of my board count upwards of 150 geese."

Horner told us the board had no idea the capture had even occurred. In fact, FOX10 News cameras were at their meeting last week as they discussed possible solutions.

"We had a serious health problem developing, and that's been the driving force all along," Horner said.

Horner said the board may have recommended a reduction in the goose population anyway, but they wanted some scientific answers. He said experts could have surveyed the area and decided on what a suitable number of ducks for the area was.

"Now we might disagree what that overpopulation is," Horner said.

Regardless, 41 of the animals have been removed and euthanized. What comes next remains to be seen.