The United State Department of Agriculture exterminated over 2,900 Canada geese from parks in and around New York City in 2009 and 2010 following the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, according to an official report quietly released in November and reported today by the New York Times.
After the accident—which was caused by Canada geese being ingested into both of the plane’s engines—Federal officials set a goal of reducing the population of geese residing within seven miles of New York City’s airports to 4,000 from an estimated 20,000 to 25,000. The report cites FAA and US Air Force “no tolerance” policies for birds living near airports due to the risk of dangerous bird strikes with aircraft, as well as the risks to human health caused by goose feces.
The most geese were collected in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, Prospect Park in Brooklyn (which animal rights activists note is over nine miles from both Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports) and Alley Pond Park in Queens, and were then transported to a “secure facility” to be gassed.
