The Chicago Park District has a problem with geese on the lawn in its famous Grant Park. The animals are snacking on grass in Butler Field -- and leaving their mark behind. University of Illinois at Chicago biologist Dr. Joel Brown said in March that geese defecate every seven to ten minutes, and that over the course of the year, 750 pounds of droppings can be expected from an individual goose. That is more than two pounds per day PER GOOSE!
To combat the problem, the Park District sprayed two hundred gallons of a digestive irritant across the field. The chemical is safe for humans, but gives geese diarrhea within twenty minutes. The hope is that the geese will get the message and find someplace else to play Duck, Duck.
Does a goose even KNOW if it has diarrhea? Does a goose even care? Is this humane? Where is PETA and the ASPCA on this? This PoopReporter wonders where the geese will go (and GO) if shooed away from the parkland. Are they just going to end up pooping all over the city?
The question has also been raised (well, by Dave, when he alerted us to this article) as to whether this technique would work on humans. It doesn't work with Taco Bell, White Castle or Kentucky Fried Chicken, THAT'S for sure -- or else the site would be short some content! One wonders whether sprinkling diarrhetic where homeless people congregate would solve another common park problem. Would that be worse than doing it to geese? Perhaps the police could use such a thing to break up mob-scenes: just sprinkle the crowd with poopy-powder, and pretty soon the preponderance of poop problems would scuttle the predicament.
