Letter to the Editor
Geese are defenseless, peaceful animals

A friend of mine showed me the article you recently wrote in the Gulf Breeze News about the "removal" of Canadian Geese from Tiger Point. Their "removal" was also referred to as the geese being "taken away." This terminology implies that the geese were simply relocated to a new habitat.

However, my friend tells me that the common knowledge around Gulf Breeze is that the geese were actually herded into a type of trailer and gassed. This scenario is appalling and as distasteful as it may be, perhaps you can clarify this point for me.

I understand the fact that you may feel the need to soft-peddle this issue but you also need to specific about the topics you are writing about in order to accurately inform your readers. I don't live in the Gulf Breeze area and I am not privy to the local buzz from that area. I live in Navy Point and in fact live around the corner from Bayou Grande near the main entrance to NAS. There are all types of waterfowl in this area including a few Canadian Geese. They are beautiful animals. I take walks in the evenings specifically for the purpose of enjoying their flights into shore and watching their antics and interactions with their young.

I have had geese of my in my own backyard for years. They are the most peaceful, defenseless little animals and are such a pleasure to watch. Seeing them bathe, swim, and even hunker down and sleep is nothing short of a pure joy that allows me to escape the stress and hassles of everyday life - if only for a moment.

Did the management at Tiger Point Country Club really do a thorough job of research before "removing" the geese? I admit that the over-population of these geese can become problematic but I can't imagine that killing them was the only answer. You stated that the geese have no natural predators in this area. Apparently they do have a natural predator - man.

There is a website of a company that specializes in the removal of Canadian Geese and other animals without killing them. The name of the company is fittingly "Canada Goose Management." They recommend several methods implemented at the same time as opposed to using only one method to accomplish results. Their website is www.canadagoosemanagement. com.

Joe Wolf

Pensacola

Editor's note: the article states the geese were destroyed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture assessed the situation.