This is the 11th year for the Canadian goose egg addling program in the Okanagan.
Image Credit: Canada Goose Management
April 05, 2017 - 11:50 AM
OKANAGAN - The annual effort to control the Canadian goose population in the Okanagan has begun.
For the past 11 years, the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program has run the egg addling program in order to reduce the burgeoning population of geese and their negative effects. In that time, more than 13,000 eggs have been prevented from hatching, according to a media release.
“Like so many communities in Southern B.C., communities along the Okanagan Valley struggle with management of non-migratory Canada geese,” Program coordinator Kate Hagmeier says in the release.
The geese being targeted are not native to the Okanagan. Rather they are hybrid offspring from various Canadian geese subspecies that were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s. Because they are not originally from the Okanagan, they have no natural instincts to migrate, the release says. The geese have adapted to the region’s mild climate and their population continues to grow.
The federally permitted addling crews have been searching for geese pairs and nesting sites in order to begin their work.
The process of egg addling involves either shaking the eggs or coating them with a non-toxic biodegradable food-grade corn oil - which has to be done within 14 days of incubation. This technique is supported by the U.S. Human Society. After the egg are addled, they are returned to their nest. Adult geese are not harmed.
The Goose Management Program asks the public to stay away from geese nests and not to touch the eggs. If you see lone, or pairs of geese or nesting locations you are asked to contact coordinator@okanagangooseplan.com or call 1-877-943-3209.
For past stories on Canadian Goose egg addling click here.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017