At the start of this campaign we contacted Animal Aid, who have a longstanding campaign against culling so called “non-native” species, and have successfully established some non-lethal plans for organisations such as United Utilities, as well as working with local campaigners in preventing a cull in the lake district. At the time of this proposed cull the RSPCA were quoted as saying:
‘ There are alternative solutions that don’t involve the killing of vast numbers of birds and our specialist wildlife experts are prepared to work with them on this, but this offer has not been taken up.’
These incidents, illicitted public outcry, as our campaign has also done to killing healthy Canada geese for spurious reasons, that appear to change like soiled underwear. We recently learnt that Sandwell council through Maria Crompton replied after some delay to their suggestions, though they have failed to reply to other rescue organisations as far as we are aware. We will look at the council response below.
- “I suspect that you may have been advised on events regards the culling of geese within the two parks in Sandwell and the publicity arising from the cull.”
As they say in Sandwell council “NO S**T SHERLOCK”
- “I FULLY APPRECIATE THAT SUCH ACTION WOULD BE SEEN TO BE UNACCEPTABLE BY BIRD LOVERS.”
Well that rules out anyone employed by this council, and obviously Crompton is not a bird lover, and neither are their contractors who claim derm “we doh kill birds mate”, yet happily pose with bird of prey plastic killing machines. Let’s be clear, hawkers and falconers are NOT bird lovers either, they are human narcissists with low self esteem and poor self image who latch onto a powerful animal like dog fighters to express their inadequacy through tearing apart weaker animals and birds.
- The third paragraph shows just how stupid this thick council are, in that geese rounded up during the moult do not occupy this park during the whole year, just when the council choose to round them up when flightless. The effect on killing the claimed 120 geese from Tipton has had the effect of removing geese from the area of Tipton almost completely. Was this the real intention- because that has been the consequence because this council and their thick idiot contractors do not know anything about goose movements in the area. It is also the case that the council have attracted “significant” numbers of visitors by all the clutter that they have put into Dartmouth park; and how they like to promote this whilst lying about the species cleansing of Canada geese.
- “There was clear evidence that the damage they caused and the mess they left behind was a constant source of complaint by visitors….”
There is no “clear evidence” of complaints to the council- we know that only 8 were made in these two parks in the last 5 years, and are likely to be complaints from the same individuals- source Sandwell council in an FOI request.
- If these selfish ever breeding “young families” were concerned about health they should have been told the facts that there is very low to no risk at all from Canada goose faeces, when compared to other animal excrement. We keep getting the same stuck record lie from this council about “aggressive behaviour” which we have dismissed already.
- “Knowing the age geese live to approximately 25-30 years”
We would like to inform the ever misinformed Councillor Crompton that this cited age range is utter bollocks, and would ask whom provided it to her, as they clearly know absolutely nothing about the species? The British Trust for ornithology record for this species confirms that there has only ever been 1 record of a bird living for more than 30 years, and only 5 ever living beyond 24. The 31 year old bird was ringed at Aqualate Mere, Newport in 1975.
She and her misinformants should read the BTO ringing report recovery record for the species and retract their nonsense statement. For clarity the only five above 24 were not from the Sandwell area and are unlikely to have ever visited it either. For balance and to demonstrate that I know a bit of what I am talking about, I present a ring read of a goose I submitted to the BTO and the recorded information that they had about those birds. This bird’s age was in itself exceptional in such a squalid and vile area like the Black Country, inhabited by unspeakably cruel people- not least Sandwell council officers.
If they survive egg pricking they can look forward to predation, physical attack by man and his dogs and chemical pollution. It is also possible to identify that the large number of the remaining geese are also last years goslings given the squeaky honks that they still have, but the council officers informing Crompton would not be interested in such monitoring through their beer glass distant observations.
- And so the misinformation to Animal Aid continues with the claimed numbers left behind in the two parks- over 120. This figure is a lie, we have also been counting the geese and it is certainly less than 100 in the two parks. Steve Handley claimed that no other geese had replaced those culled in a letter to one of our campaigners, yet we know how many his butchers “spared” when the 70 were taken, and that this claim is also rubbish. It is also the case that at different times of day there will be different numbers, something again we have considered by doing different counts at different times of day.
- The penultimate paragraph appears to be spinning out making any formal statement about future culling plans, which we would take as they are still going to cull more geese, and hope no-one notices then belatedly look for some PR opportunity to sidle up to the animal charity. We also don’t appear to be told who will be making a decision on this. From what we have already seen it cannot continue to be informed by individuals so totally out of competent and independent thought to the subject that they cannot look beyond breaking more necks. Animal Aid have already given advice, and so the council appear to reject it with this statement.
- ANIMAL AIDS ALTERNATIVES TO CULLING BROCHURE CAN BE READ BELOW.