TerriHaute
Hoosier Gardener
Dead geese puzzle wildlife officials
Dozens of geese have been found dead along the Lake Erie shore and others are so sick that they are unable to fly, wildlife officials said.
Many have been found dead near Toledo, where the geese often gather in the open waters of the lake. But others have been found dead in a nearby river and along the lake 70 miles away near Cleveland.
"They will fall out of the sky and have trouble staying upright," said Dave Sherman, a biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife experts are awaiting tests on some of the dead birds to determine the cause.
The number of dead geese appears to be smaller than the massive bird die-offs that have gained attention elsewhere around the country. Those deaths in Arkansas — where officials believe the birds were spooked by fireworks — and subsequent ones in Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisiana aren't believed to be connected or a sign of widespread contagion.
In Ohio, wildlife officials first noticed that mallard ducks were showing signs of an illness a few weeks ago, but now it's mostly Canada geese.
State wildlife officer Cody Klima told The Blade newspaper that he picked up about two dozen dead geese in the last few weeks. He said thin ice on the lake is preventing them from reaching more geese.
"I'm guessing some of them are drowning," Klima said. "They lose their coordination and flip upside down."
Some of the sick geese have been dropped off at a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia — 18 of 23 geese have died, said Sarah Langdon, a supervisor at Back to the Wild. The five others are acting normal again and may be released soon, she said.
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/news/2011/feb/18/dead-geese-puzzle-wildlife-officials
Dozens of geese have been found dead along the Lake Erie shore and others are so sick that they are unable to fly, wildlife officials said.
Many have been found dead near Toledo, where the geese often gather in the open waters of the lake. But others have been found dead in a nearby river and along the lake 70 miles away near Cleveland.
"They will fall out of the sky and have trouble staying upright," said Dave Sherman, a biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife experts are awaiting tests on some of the dead birds to determine the cause.
The number of dead geese appears to be smaller than the massive bird die-offs that have gained attention elsewhere around the country. Those deaths in Arkansas — where officials believe the birds were spooked by fireworks — and subsequent ones in Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisiana aren't believed to be connected or a sign of widespread contagion.
In Ohio, wildlife officials first noticed that mallard ducks were showing signs of an illness a few weeks ago, but now it's mostly Canada geese.
State wildlife officer Cody Klima told The Blade newspaper that he picked up about two dozen dead geese in the last few weeks. He said thin ice on the lake is preventing them from reaching more geese.
"I'm guessing some of them are drowning," Klima said. "They lose their coordination and flip upside down."
Some of the sick geese have been dropped off at a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia — 18 of 23 geese have died, said Sarah Langdon, a supervisor at Back to the Wild. The five others are acting normal again and may be released soon, she said.
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/news/2011/feb/18/dead-geese-puzzle-wildlife-officials