Be considerate towards Egyptian geese

WITH Spring in full swing, Durban’s residential areas are alive with the sights and sounds of suburban wildlife.

One increasingly common visitor to gardens at this time of the year is the Egyptian goose, whose population numbers have been steadily growing over the past few years. CROW’s Director, Paul Hoyte explains just why this is so: “Unlike some of our local wildlife whose existence is being severely threatened by human development and urbanisation, our ever expanding cities and suburbs are proving an ideal breeding site for Egyptian geese.

In addition to a warm climate, Egyptian geese look for access to a fresh water source and an area with plentiful food. So be it your swimming pool, an eco-estate or a golf course, our Egyptian Geese are currently spoilt for choice when it comes to sites to rear their young.”

Hoyte said unfortunately, cases of human and wildlife conflict between Egyptian geese, humans and their domestic pets have inevitably increased too over the past few years.

“Six years ago, we dealt with only a handful of cases involving injured, orphaned and displaced Egyptian geese. Last year, CROW admitted 598 Egyptian geese. Approximately 378 of these cases were admitted during our last baby season, September 2015 to March 2016. For the month of September this year, we admitted 108 Egyptian geese alone,” said Hoyte.

“We know of many people who take great delight in having a family of Egyptian Geese take up residence in their back yards. It certainly can be a great experience for young children and an opportunity to teach them about nature. So for those that are happy to have these feathered guests on their property for a few weeks and provided there is no threat from cats or dogs, leave them be.”

Local ornithologist and Curator of Birds at the Durban Natural Science Museum, David Allen, lends his voice to this appeal for the public to be tolerant and let the birds get on with rearing their young, noting that at the end of day, Egyptian geese are indigenous members of our natural birdlife and should therefore be treated with consideration and respect.

“We should admire this goose for its hardiness in the face our relentless pressure on the natural world and not hold it against this bird. At a time when so many species are under such extreme threat, from rhinos to African penguins, we should be pleased to see that some wildlife is holding out so well. Remember that with every passing day the chicks will grow bigger and closer to being able to disperse naturally to a safer environment. If you can assist the birds with this process in any way you will have made a meaningful contribution to preserving our natural birdlife,” said Allen.

Of course, in instances where the Egyptian geese are in danger of being attacked by cats or dogs, then relocating them to a safer site may be the better option. However, given the sheer number of calls for assistance that CROW is currently receiving regarding Egyptian geese, Hoyte appeals to the public to work with them by safely catching up families of geese that need to be collected and relocated by the CROW team.

“The biggest problem we have is that to give the goslings the best chance of survival, we need to catch mom and dad too. Herein lies the problem, as they simply fly away as soon as we arrive with our catch and throw nets. Thankfully, what we have been finding as a huge help, is if the home owner is prepared to lend us a helping hand by getting the family into any enclosed area such as a garage or shed before we arrive,” said Hoyte.

He said this is relatively easy to do with a washing or laundry basket. Gently scoop up each of the goslings and place them in the basket. Then, with mom and dad watching you, take the goslings and place the basket in your open garage or shed. Soon enough, mom and dad will make their way into the room to be close to their babies. As soon as they’re in, close the door and contact CROW to come and collect them.

CROW is a registered wildlife rehabilitation centre that is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing all injured, orphaned and displaced indigenous wildlife in KZN. The organisation is run by a small team of staff and volunteers and is completely reliant on donations from the public. To contact CROW call 031 462 1127 or email info@crowkzn.co.za.