STOP SCARSDALE VILLAGE FROM KILLING GEESE IN LIBRARY POND

Dear Mayor of Scarsdale:

We are very upset and saddened about The Village of Scarsdale's plan to kill the wildlife (Canadian geese) in the Scarsdale Library pond, and implore you to consider alternatives as in this letter. We strongly believe that geese, and all animals, have a right to live their lives. (I, the author of this petition, enjoy observing geese in the pond near where I live in NYC; I watched 6 goslings grow together, their parents closely guarding them, until their father was killed by a man- this broke my heart.) Research shows that the most effective programs use long-term, non-lethal strategies that reduce or remove the physical conditions that attract particular species to an area.   Habitat modification is also being used successfully to discourage populations of geese from colonizing. Environmentalists know the golden rule of ecosystems: if one species is removed, another species will take over. So if the geese are gone, there will be more resources available for whatever species moves in to occupy their niche.  You can oil their eggs to prevent hatching. OvoControl-G, is an oral contraception specifically for Canada geese -- OvoControl-G is administered in bread-like bait and is a safe and environmentally friendly product that is fed to geese by hand or offered at bait stations prior to and during nesting season, which spans 10 weeks each year. OvoControl-G does not kill the geese—it simply prevents them from developing and laying viable eggs. Harassment or scare tactics by border collie dogs, kites and cut outs can also be used to train geese away from private areas where they are unwanted. The Goosinator is a simple brilliant device that is humane, as well. You can also hire people to clean up after the geese - many people are looking for a job, need money, and would be glad to do it.

Canada geese are beautiful, intelligent birds who mate for life, fiercely protect their eggs and young, and display loyalty for other members of their flock. The methods that USDA Wildlife Services uses to kill geese are broadly understood to be grossly inhumane - the geese are corralled, packed into turkey crates and transported, terrified, to slaughterhouses or gas chambers.

In Africa, they are killing off the lions because they think they are a threat to livestock. Animals should be able to live their lives alongside humans, as God intended. Please reconsider and be compassionate. For the geese's sake, as well as for people like myself who care about them.

Note: The language in the article about the geese in Scarsdale10583.com is also crude and disturbing -- "the geese will soon be gone"; "get rid of the geese"; "do away with the geese"; goodbye to the geese" -- it seems like someone is annoyed at them and stirred up other people to come up with this horrible plan to destroy them. There are people who enjoy and appreciate wildlife, such as the Canada geese. What will you tell the children, besides?