What the Flock!?

As we now enter the third week of October, the fall season is in full swing. The leaves are changing, the temperatures cooling, and iconic to the Canadian landscape, flocks of geese are migrating southwards. The familiar "V" formation seen crossing the skies is a welcome sight to most, as we appreciate the grace and elegance of these home grown creatures. However, as soon as these birds cross the 49th parallel, their presence is not so welcome.

When people migrate between countries, they bring with them their passports and other official documentation in order to cross the border. They may even choose to become a permanent resident of this new land, and can do so by obtaining their citizenship. These formalities help improve the security of the country, and keep out any unwanted illegal aliens. However, these are travel restrictions applied to humans - these claims of territory and political boundaries are all abstract features used by man to claim political space. So why is it that when the Canadian Goose innocently crosses the border into the United States of America, they are immediately at risk of losing their lives?

In Canada, these birds are thought of as a national symbol. However, in many areas of the United States, the annual visit of these birds as they follow their migratory path is viewed as a nuisance. Over the past few years, the goose population has been on the rise. Many American officials complain of the waste and feces left behind by these larger flocks, and have decided that it is within their right to start controlling the size of the population. In many cities, such as Seattle and New Jersey, the Department of Agriculture workers are instructed to slaughter hundreds upon hundreds of geese each season. At dawn, the workers go out into the fields where they capture and bind the birds. They separate the goslings from the adults, and kill the geese by gunshot, snapping their necks, or carrying them in bundles to a portable gas chamber.

These geese are simply following their innate instinct to migrate to warmer climates. They are unaware of the fact that they are crossing man-made, political boundaries, which consequently puts their lives at risk. And since the Canadian geese have entered American territory, how could we possibly protect our native bird? The definition of political territory holds great importance, and each country rightly feels they must protect their land from any threats. However, when our politics begin to encroach on the ability for animals to migrate, then we have gone too far. Geese cannot see political boundaries or understand territorial space. And yet they are the ones to feel the effects and suffer the consequences of these abstract features.

There is plenty more material available on this topic. For more information from an animal protection group, feel free to consult the following:

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/news/2005/may/lets-control-ourselv.html