6 Dead Geese Found At Hillsborough Pond

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Six dead Canadian geese were found on a pond in Hillsborough recently.

A representative of the Hillsborough Township Clerk's Office confirmed to Patch "that six dead geese have been reported and the Health Department is aware of the situation."

A resident told Patch they reported the dead geese on Friday after spotting them on top of local pond across the street from Hillsborough High School.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has attributed massive die-offs of Canada geese around New Jersey to the H5N1 bird flu. However, it is currently unclear if the dead geese are connected to the recent outbreak of bird flu throughout the state.

On Monday, parks in Allentown remained closed after dead geese were discovered in the area, one of the first large batches of dead birds reported in Monmouth County.

The current strain of bird flu, H5N1, also known as avian influenza, is suspected to have caused localized deaths of multiple wild birds, predominantly snow geese and Canada geese, in parts of New Jersey since the end of December, according to the state DEP, which is responsible for tracking the spread in wild birds.

The last confirmation of H5N1-related deaths in wild birds in New Jersey was in April 2024, the DEP said.

More than 140 sick or dead snow geese and Canada geese (plus lower numbers of raptors and other avian scavengers) have been reported from more than 30 locations throughout the state, according to the DEP.

Clusters of five birds or more have been reported in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem and Warren counties, officials said. Of these wild birds, 11 have tested positive, though the DEP is awaiting confirmation from the federal government.

Though cases of H5N1 have been reported in animals, there are no reported cases of human infection of H5N1 in New Jersey, the DEP said.

Additionally, the US Center for Disease Control & Prevention has declared that the H5N1 outbreak is primarily an animal health issue, NJ DEP Spokesman Larry Hajna said, and poses low risk to public health.

DEP Fish & Wildlife is recommending the following safety measures for the general public:

• Avoid direct contact with wild birds; observe them from a distance
• Avoid unprotected contact with wild or domestic birds that appear sick or have died
• Only eat or drink milk or dairy products made from pasteurized milk and avoid feeding pets raw milk or dairy products. Raw (unpasteurized) milk or dairy products can contain germs that make people and pets sick
• Cook poultry, eggs and beef to appropriate internal temperatures before consumption
• Review information from the CDC for specific groups and take additional precautions, including wearing PPE if you may be in contact with infected or potentially infected birds, dairy cows, or other animals.

Occurrences of avian influenza can be tracked here. For further guidance or information on H5N1, you can click here.

— With reporting by Sara Winick, Patch Staff

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