No Foul Play in Death of Fowl

The 20 to 30 geese that were found dead near two ponds Nov. 9 apparently died natural deaths, a state wildlife representative said.

Jamey Graham, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in Akron, said an examination of some of the deceased geese showed they were not shot or intentionally poisoned.

Instead, officials are guessing they ate grass that had recently been fertilized.

"Unfortunately, we get a handful of cases like this every year," Graham said. "Sometimes the fertilizer lays on the grass a little too long and the geese eat it."

On Nov. 9, a Winchester Court resident behind his house. Police found 15 dead geese at the Winchester pond and three more at the Drake/High Point pond.

The next day, more dead geese were found on Admiralty Drive and Park Lane Drive.

Geoff Westerfield, a wildlife research technician for ODNR, performed a partial necropsy and found only grass in the stomachs of the geese.

So while foul play is not suspected, a definitive answer isn't available, either.

"It's impossible to say at this point," Graham said.