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Scarsdale Happy With Village Decision Not To Kill Geese

SCARSDALE, N.Y. – Some Scarsdale residents are pleased with the village’s decision to continue exploring options to get rid of the Canada geese that populate the pond near the Scarsdale Public Library.

The geese that live near the pond outside the Scarsdale Public Library will not be exterminated by the village, but other options for controlling the population are under study.

The geese that live near the pond outside the Scarsdale Public Library will not be exterminated by the village, but other options for controlling the population are under study.

Photo Credit: Mark Chapman, File

Last week, Village Manager Alfred Gatta announced that officials would look at other options than signing a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill the geese.

Village officials want to rid the pond of the geese, arguing that their droppings befoul the location and make it inaccessible to residents.

“It’s shocking to me that they would have even considered such a drastic measure in the first place,” Sargent road resident Mohammad Jamal said. “The geese are as much a part of the community as the rest of us. You can’t just get rid of things that are inconvenient to you.”

Gatta said the village might attempt to modify the habitat by allowing grass to grow longer, which would make it a less appealing environment for the geese to mate. The village may also use an OvoControl-G birth control feed for geese. Officials hope to find a solution by the late spring.

“It’s good they came to their senses before it was too late,” Alli Jones said outside of the Scarsdale train station. “There are so many other options for consideration.”

Recently retired Scarsdale teacher Stephen Sepe said the geese and pond are an indispensable learning tool for the high school.

“The geese are a part of the life of the school,” he said. “They would nest there and provide the students direct contact to nature. I would often talk about the geese in my classes, and really felt they were an important vehicle for teaching respect for life. The idea of doing harm to the animals is appalling, and I don’t understand that the powers that be would even contemplate such a measure.”

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