Lodi Park Officials Bring Out Decoy Coyotes To Scare Off Messy Geese
LODI (CBS13) — Lodi Lake Park officials say every morning they play a game of angry birds, but in this version, the birds are the enemies and knocking down their hold over the lake requires a next level strategy.
Park goers have said the 200 geese living at the park are making picnics, walks, and play areas uncomfortable.
"They're fighting 24/7 and they're pretty aggressive," said visitor Tyler Garrison of the geese.
And it's also what they leave behind besides feathers.
"I don't want to step in bird poop and then get into my clean car," said Garrison.
The geese, mostly Canadian who don't migrate, have been a problem at Lodi Lake Park for years and the beach has been closed often because of high bacteria from their feces. Now park officials are trying something cartoon Wile E. Coyote might do. They ordered a trick, though it didn't come in an Acme box.
"Yes, we have a coyote whose tail flaps in the breeze and it's something about the eyeballs of this model," said Park Recreation superintendent Michael Reese. "There's some fright shared by the geese."
The rubber decoy coyote went out Thursday morning. So is it working?
"This afternoon, there are no geese on the beach," said Reese.
Lodi Lake Park ordered another fake coyote schedule to go out Friday. Reese says park employees will move the coyotes around the park throughout the day. At night, the park will have solar powered strobe lights.
"We don't want to hurt the geese," said Reese."Just make them uncomfortable."
In addition to a dog walking volunteer program at the lake, the park is looking into hiring a herding dog to chase the geese away.
