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Video: Outrage as airport orders geese to be shot at Leeds beauty spot
A BEAUTY spot near Leeds was cordoned off so that environment officials could kill a flock of geese on the orders of Leeds Bradford Airport.
Around 10 Canada Geese were shot at Yeadon Tarn by officers from the Food and Environment Research Agency.
In a joint statement, the agency, airport and Leeds Council said the birds were killed because they posed “a significant risk to the aircraft”.
But residents have protested about the incident, which took place under the cover of darkness and without warning, and have posted “murdered” posters around the area.
They say the geese have always been regular visitors to Yeadon Tarn and they have never been aware of any shootings in the past.
Local resident Ruth Humphreys, 50, said: “I was very angry, I didn’t sleep last night at all.
“I’m passionate about animals so I was really upset, I was like a headless chicken. How could they do it?”
It is believed that Food and Environment Research Agency officials cordoned off the lake, which is popular with runners and dog walkers, at around 5am on Thursday, with some residents hearing gun shots in the night.
Valerie Cotton, from Horsforth, was denied access to Yeadon Tarn while the cull took place.
She said: “What have the wildlife done wrong? A lot of people are very upset, people around the town take their children to go and feed the geese around there.
“It’s absolute devastation, people are making posters and putting them up in memory of them.”
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said Canada Geese could be culled legally if they were causing a threat to agriculture or health and safety.
He said: “They are recognised as being one of the major air-strike risks around airports.”
The statement from the council, airport and Food and Environment Research Agency said: “This flock of Canada Geese poses a significant risk to the aircraft flying in and out of Leeds Bradford International Airport.
“Up to 100 Canada Geese have been recorded regularly crossing the runway as they fly to and from Yeadon Tarn.”
The statement said that the cull was carried out within the constraints of UK law and the Natural England General Licence for preserving air safety.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
stevek
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 07:21 PMI hope that they did not just throw the carcases away. They could have least have been sold or at least eaten by the FARA officials. These geese are becoming a pest all over the country.
kingbilly
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 09:06 PMwhat if a plane hit the birds and crash landed on your house. (taken from yep)
ex pat Loiner
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 06:40 PMI have flown out of many US airports with lots of seriously large flying wildlife around. Laguardia NY has seagulls in the hundreds, Miami has pelicans, San Diego more seabirds. You cannot kill your way out of this type of problem. US Airports have ATVs that watch the runways and surrounding areas. (Not just birds but any kind of security). They use horns, trained hawks, predatory bird sounds, etc all of which keep the birds at bay.
kingbilly
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 02:48 PMi would like to here your comments if you were in a plane that had birds sucked into the engine.
zimegs
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 02:25 PMName calling - how mature! I was very upset - the geese were doing what was natural to them. Are they just going to kill all the birds who fly in from now on?! What about the remaining geese and ducks - will they meet the same fate? There have always been canada geese on the tarn and it looks shockingly empty now. If the geese had been on the runway, i understand what a threat they ould have posed to human life but they were floating on the tarn. The community should have been informed of their intent - the whole incident seems underhand.
kingbilly
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 12:16 PMstupid woman. i like to hear your comments if you were on an aircraft that hit a flock of birds. i have
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