A gaggle of geese who have made Lodi Lake their home have city officials crying foul.
The birds, which number up to 200, have lived at the lake for years and their presence has caused quite a stink. A single Canadian goose produces 2 to 3 pounds of feces per day, which means thousands of pounds of poop for residents to deal with each year. And they can be mean too.
“They’re fighting 24/7 and they’re pretty aggressive,” said one visitor of the ornery birds.
On Wednesday, the city council met to discuss ways to curtail the problem. But dealing with them won’t be easy. Lodi’s Canadian geese are part of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, which bars them from being killed, captured, or transported.
Some proposed alternatives include physical barriers and visual or audio distraction. The Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department has already begun installing rubber coyotes at the Lodi Lake beach to scare some of the geese away.
“We don’t want to hurt the geese,” said Park Recreation superintendent Michael Reese. “Just make them uncomfortable.” In other words, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Read more about Lodi’s geese problem here.