Wolf cut-outs used to scare away Canada geese

Thursday, 13 June 2024

Christchurch Botanic Gardens ranger Corey Connor does his best dog imitation to deter the Canada geese from the gardens.

Fake cut-outs of wolves are being used to scare the pooping and squawking Canada geese away from Christchurch’s public gardens.

Five decoy wolves at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and two at Mona Vale are being used to deter Canada geese from display gardens and popular picnic areas because their turds are spoiling the public’s enjoyment.

The idea originated at Clearwater Golf Club, which had been using the decoys for at least two years and seen success, Botanic Gardens director Wolfgang Bopp said.

The wolf decoys installed at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens are black cut-outs with white eyes, and rangers often move them around so the geese don't get too familiar with their presence.

“We’re not sure why the wolves scare the geese. We can only assume it is because the geese have never seen a wolf before and they are a natural predator,” Bopp said.

Players and parents have told The Press they’re fed up with the piles of goose poop on sports fields, particularly in east Christchurch.

“In all my years of sport - as an adult and with my kids - I have never seen anything like it,” parent John McKenzie said of Cuthberts Green in Bromley in particular. “It’s a health issue.

“The kids couldn't sit down, had trouble placing bags, or anything, down as the amount of bird/geese poo made it difficult to find any space that wasn't affected.”

Wolf decoys (inset) are being used within the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and at Mona Vale to deter Canada geese.

The Canada geese population boomed after the Christchurch earthquakes because of newly available habitat in the city’s east, about the same time they were removed from the game schedule in 2011 to allow landowners to cull the birds themselves.

Goose poo is proving a problem on Christchurch sports grounds. Authorities concede more culling is needed, but that hinges on expanding the $20k annual budget.

Without any natural predators or game bird status, other areas were no longer being managed as well, Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillor Deon Swiggs said.

About $20,000 was spent annually in a joint culling operation involving the city council, ECan and Christchurch Airport.

The city council, which had received nine complaints about geese fouling sports fields in the last year, did not clean the poo from sports fields, instead relying on weekly mowing and rain to hurry the decomposition.