Rochester’s Parks & Rec Department Responds to Community Concerns About Egg Addling
Hundreds of Rochester residents have voiced concerns on social media over the last few days about the city's plan to use a method called egg addling to reduce the goose population in the Med-City. This morning Rochester's Parks Department responded.
The Director of Parks and Recreation, Paul Widman addressed concerned citizens and said, "The Park Board and department value wildlife, and we will continue to ensure we are taking a thoughtful and humane approach to wildlife management.” Read his entire statement in the press release sent from the Parks and Rec Department Tuesday morning.
In case you don't know, PETA says, egg addling is: "a treatment that stops the embryo from developing. Several methods are available, but for humane reasons, some methods are preferred over others. Addling can take the form of oiling, shaking, or puncturing the eggs."
The Parks Department does say this method is "recommended by Peta and the Humane Society for the control of resident geese flocks." The press release also explained, "The procedures will be under the guidance of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service."
A Frequently Asked Questions document has been created on the City's website to address concerns and explains goose poop is the major problem: "For many years, park and trail users have complained about goose droppings. The excrement contributes to water contamination, which has resulted in the frequent closings of Foster Arend and Cascade Lake beaches. Bike trails are often slick with goose poop. Playgrounds, picnic tables, and other amenities are frequently unapproachable. In addition to goose-human conflict, unchecked growth in the population can adversely affect the health of the resident geese."
A team of volunteers will start the process of egg addling tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, an online petition has been started to stop the destruction of eggs.
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