City of Annweiler warns: feeding ban for geese is urgently needed!

City of Annweiler warns: feeding ban for geese is urgently needed!

There is a sense of alarm in the town of Annweiler: the municipality has urged its visitors to the Schwanenweiher to stop feeding animals. The reason: A goose that can no longer fly due to poor nutrition is showing alarming signs of trouble. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as Rheinpfalz reports.

The affected goose is a Canada goose that was born this year and suffers from so-called tilt wing. This growth disorder occurs when the flight feathers grow faster than the muscles and bones. An excess of energy-rich food – such as bread – often leads to such developmental problems. Early detection could help, but adult tilt-wing geese are usually no longer treatable, which severely limits their chances of survival, as the information from nilgans.org shows.

Tilt wing: An underestimated danger

Tilting wings, which can occur in geese for a variety of reasons, are not just a cosmetic problem. They impose a series of challenges on the animals. The disorder causes the double-winged goose, like the affected Canada goose, to be unable to fly. Tilt-winged geese often find it difficult to defend territories in the wild and usually have no offspring. There is also a significant risk factor associated with the way they are fed, as people often feel the inclination to feed wild animals in order to help them, as Tierschutzbund notes.

The city of Annweiler has therefore taken a clear position and mentioned that wild animals can survive without human help. A feeding ban has been in place for years so as not to further endanger the animals' health. Feeding bread, cakes and other human foods is therefore not only unsuitable, but harmful.

Future prospects

The city could now create a sanctuary for the goose, possibly fenced in to give it a protected place. This sanctuary could benefit not only the Canada goose, but also other birds in the facility. This would be a step in the right direction to give wild animals the opportunity to live in species-appropriate conditions.

The fate of the goose at the Schwanenweiher is a clear indication of how important it is to rethink feeding behavior towards wild animals. It takes a good hand and a little knowledge to ensure the health of the animals and avoid the dangerous consequences of an incorrect diet.

Ultimately, it is time to take responsibility for the animals and understand that they can survive in nature without human intervention.