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September 24, 2007
Honked off
Lament the poor geese of Palo Alto. It seems Americans' affinity for fast food has left some of our winged breathren bloated and unable to fly:
Munching on a diet of such fast-food delights as potato chips, donuts, cakes and burritos, Palo Alto's once-migrating Canada geese have been grounded by bulging waistlines, according to wildlife officials.
Baylands Open Space Preserve park ranger Joe Collie said good natured individuals were overfeeding the flock.
"They can fly, but it takes them an extra run to get off the ground," Collie told KTVU. "I've seen cakes put out for them, burritos -- stuff that's just isn't natural for these birds."
The ranger said the diet had turned many of the birds into nature's version of couch potatoes.
"Basically, they are being fed her so they don't want to leave," he said. "Their diet results in them getting fat."
Rangers have tried to out on end to the fattening buffet by posting signs, but that hasn't stopped the feeding.
"We tried for the first three weeks to come out and educate," he said. "We found that we could do that seven days a week, eight hours a day and people just don’t comprehend."
entry no. 968
Posted by oz115 at September 24, 2007 12:10 PM