'Been hissed at and chased at quite a few times': Can Canadians and Canada geese find peace?

Kate McLeodwas strollingalong the University of Waterloo campus this week, listening to music on her headphones perhaps a little too loudly,when she noticed two students staring at her and pointing.

"I look behind and there are these two geese charging at me," said McLeod, a second-year biochemistry student who lives on campus and crosses paths with the birds multiple times a day.

She ran for it, escapingapotential confrontation with her winged aggressors.

McLeod says she's developedmixed feelings about the ubiquitous birds on campus. She appreciates their presence, but not so much havingtoavoid possible attacks, all the whilenavigating through a minefield of geese droppings.

"You get a lot of geese poop on the bottom of your shoes, so you try not to wear your nicest shoes around campus," she said. "It's nice having wildlife around, but at the same time, sometimes they can be a little bit aggressive. I've been hissedat and chased at quite a few times."

Full protective mode

With nesting season in full swing, and Canada geese in full protective mode over their nests, confrontations between birds and humans are predictably on the rise.

Andthe populations ofCanada geese are only getting bigger.

"No question, they're increasing all across Canada and all across North America," said JimLeafloor, a biologist with the federal government's Canadian Wildlife Service.

• Complaints prompt University of Manitoba to quit cracking goose eggs
• Aggressive nesting geese a growing problem in Windsor region

There are about seven million Canada geesein North America, but Leafloor said the problem isn't the numbers, it's their distribution across the country.

"We actually have bigger goose populations than Canada geese in many areas, but they don't cause problemsbecause they're not living in cities wherethey have a lot of conflictwith people."

Despite the growth in Canada goosepopulations, the government hasn't designated the birds as overabundant and culling large numbers ofbirds is certainly not something being considered, Leafloorsaid.

"DoI think it's gotten to apoint wherewe need to try and essentiallykill millionsof Canada geese? No. I wouldn't say we've gotten to that stage."

Try to co-exist

That meansgeese and humans are going to have to try toco-exist. But for those who can't seem to make peace, Environment Canada willissue permits that allow people to relocate Canadageese in certain circumstances, remove the eggs, or, if all other options have beenexhausted,euthanizethe birds.

Leafloor's own department acknowledges on itswebsite thedamage that Canada geesecreate and potential danger they pose. They can be a significant threat to aircraft.As well, they can inflict some major damage to crops,parks, pastures, golf coursesandhomeownerlawns. And then of course, there's all thedroppings.

But they can also become very aggressive and launch attacks against anyone they consider a threat to their nests.

Ottawa resident Kerry Surmanhad her own confrontation with a Canada goose three years ago. She was riding her bike in the afternoon along the Trans Canada Trail west of the citywhen she came uponsix to eight geese crossing in thearea.

"The adult goose at the end of a procession ofgoslingsguessed thatIwas a threat because of the speed of my approach," she said. "He came up behind me and wrapped his wings around me. That's the last thing I remember."

Goose attacks Ottawa cyclist

10 years ago

Duration 2:15

A Stittsville woman is recovering after she was attacked by a Canada Goose while cycling along the TransCanada Trail.

Surmanfell off her bike and smashed to the ground. She spent five days in hospital recovering from asevere concussion, broken cheekbone andfaciallacerations.

While the attackdidn't sour her on the bird, she did learn to respect its wingspan and strength.

"They are capable of a lot moreaggressivebehaviourthanIwould have expected, so Ireally do approach a lotmorecautiously," she said. "And so I avoid some bike paths thatare known to have a high goose population around them."

Baseball bats used

Concerns about aggressive Canada goosebehaviouron campus recently led the University of Manitoba to hirea contractor to dispose ofeggs. But many students and onlookers were shocked when they witnessed workers usingbaseball bats to destroy the eggs. (The university later cancelledthe egg disposal, saying it didn'tcondone how it was done.)

However,not all Canada goose/human interactions are hostile.

Earlier this week in Edmonton, several residents swooped in to help a family of Canada geesewho had become trapped while travellingacross the High Level Bridge.

Meanwhile, the University of Waterloo has its annual Goose Watch '17 web page up and running, which allows people to post photos and details ofgoose nesting sites to the school community.

"We thought it would bea funsort of take on this kind of natural environment we have around us on campus and the day-to-day interactionswe have with the geesethat arearound here," said site creator James McCarthy, a geospatial applications specialist at the university.

Goose nest etiquette

But along with naturespotting, Goose Watch also offers some goose nest etiquette to avoid confrontation:

• Maintain direct eye contact and keep your chest and face pointed at the goose.
• If the goose acts aggressively, calmly and slowly back away.
• Don't act hostile or show fear.

"Givethem wide berth," said Leafloor. "They're not trifling birds. They can go 10 to 12 pounds. They can be very aggressive when they're defending a nest."

.