Police Want You to Stop Feeding the Geese ... Please

The Fairfax County Police Department has some advice for those who want to feed the geese wandering around the county: just don't.

Canada geese are certainly a common sight in Fairfax County, and many people can't resist the urge to feed the wild animals along with other waterfowl in local parks and on private property, but this is actually a bad idea, according to a police statement.

"Many people believe that feeding geese contributes to the overall health and survival of the animal. Others enjoy feeding geese because it allows them to have close encounters with the birds," the statement notes. "Although these actions are well-intentioned, feeding geese often contributes to increased conflicts with humans and can negatively impact the birds themselves."

The problem is that geese will become habituated to and dependent on food from humans. In addition, the food humans usually provide -- bread, corn and popcorn -- have almost no nutritional value and can even harm the birds.

"Geese that become dependent on human-provided foods can suffer from malnourishment (and starvation in severe cases) as they fill up on empty calories instead of receiving proper nutrients provided by the environment," the statement adds. "Geese also tend to lose their natural fear of humans and can become aggressive as a consequence of being fed."

If that's not enough to dissuade you from feeding the foul-tempered birds, remember that feeding attracts geese in larger numbers than the habitat can support. Police say this results in environmental damage due to overgrazing, unsanitary conditions and health concerns from excessive goose feces and feathers, degraded water quality and soil erosion, safety hazards when geese cross roadways, and the spread of disease and parasites.

Why are the police putting out this warning now? Feeding of Canada geese is particularly prevalent in the summer months as geese congregate in larger numbers for their annual molt. During this period, geese are flightless.

It is actually unlawful in Virginia to feed animals in such a way as to attract them in greater numbers.

In any event, just remember that geese are perfectly capable of finding their own food -- and probably do a better job of it.

"Left on their own, geese will feed on a variety of nutritious foods that are available (e.g., grasses, sedges, berries, grains and seeds) and will move to new locations when resources have been depleted," the statement points out.

Image via Fairfax County Police Department