In 2015 , around 40 geese showed up at a new park located along the Guadiana River in the western Spanish city of Badajoz . In 2016 the population expanded , in 2017 it exploded , and this year nobody knows what to do with the geese anymore , because there are already 500 of them . And many more are no doubt on the way , with the arrival of breeding season . We built this park for the people , not for the geese Mayor Francisco Javier Fragoso Nobody knows for sure where the geese came from – not city officials , not the regional government of Extremadura , not the area biologists , and not the local residents . But there are two theories . Around 100 meters from this pretty public park known as Parque del Guadiana , there is another green area that is home to around 60 geese that roam around freely . A few may have escaped and made their way into Guadiana Park , some people feel . The second theory posits that some people were keeping geese as pets and decided to get rid of them by leaving them in the park . This latter hypothesis is favored by the mayor , Francisco Javier Fragoso of the Popular Party ( PP ) . “ We built this park for the people , not for the geese , ” he notes . “ They could reach 1,000 specimens by this summer , and that would pose a health risk for the 150,000 residents of the city. ” Geese outside the children 's playground at Guadiana Park . M.Viejo Animal experts have confirmed that the excess of geese could be potentially harmful for other species and even for people . “ If they keep multiplying , they could be conveyors of avian flu or salmonella , ” says José Marín , head of the Badajoz Veterinary Association . And Marcelino Cardalliguet , the Extremadura representative of the Spanish Ornithological Society , said that while the issue might sound like a joke , it should be taken seriously . “ Since they have no predators nearby , they pose a threat to hundreds of birds such as the squacco heron , which is an endangered species. ” Geese travel in gaggles . In Badajoz , there are groups of between 35 and 40 specimens scattered in various parts of the park . The females lay four to six eggs a year , and the incubation period is 27 to 28 days . Compared with other fowl , they live for a long time , are fast learners , and can be aggressive . One company wanted to make pâté out of them Park users are divided over the presence of so many geese . “ They never bother me , ” says José Antonio , 52 , who was out for a run . But over at the children ’ s playground , Ángel , 34 , complains about them as he pushes his daughter Eva on the swings : “ It ’ s all full of excrement . I don ’ t support eliminating them because the kids love them , but I would reduce their numbers. ” Jana , a 26-year-old waitress at one of two bars located inside the park , was adamant : “ They get into the kitchen , they climb up on the tables , they bother the customers and they fill everything with crap . Something needs to be done , now. ” Faced with the controversy , Pablo Ramos , a coordinator at the green group Ecologistas Extremadura , suggests donating them to local farms , while Arturo López , a biologist at the Badajoz Provincial Authority , proposes putting them down . “ Yes , I know that will not sound popular . I defend animals too , but they are an invasive species. ” For now , authorities are keeping all options open , including the possibility of capturing and deporting the geese . The use of contraceptive feed was ruled out because other species might eat it , and adoption by local residents is not viewed as acceptable , either . “ This is a problem that stems from the old habit of giving away ducklings as presents , ” says José Martínez , president of the Guadiana Water Confederation . “ They need to be caught as soon as possible. ” Representatives from this body , from the regional government – which is run by the Socialist Party ( PSOE ) – and from the city of Badajoz have met twice in the last year in search of solutions , but no agreement has emerged so far . A bird sanctuary EL PAÍS The zone affected by the overpopulation of geese is part of a Special Protection Area , a EU designation for the conservation of wild birds . The Guadiana River flows very slowly past Badajoz , and this has created a particularly good habitat for several endemic bird , fish and plant species . Conservationists warn that some of these species are under threat from the geese . “ If they don ’ t do something , this is not going to stop , ” says a worker at Joca , the company in charge of conservation and sanitation services at Guadiana Park . “ There are thousands of droppings , we never stop cleaning , and it ’ s breeding season now , so there will be many more. ” A few days ago , the newspaper Hoy reported that the city of Alicante might take a few geese to a local golf course . Don Benito and other municipalities in the area have also expressed an interest . And there is a company that at one point wanted to make pâté out of them . In the meantime , a group of 36 geese slowly approach the gusanitos ( puffed corn snacks ) that 40-year-old Victoria has left out on the ground for them , even though feeding the birds is prohibited . “ If this park is not for them , who is it for then ? ” English version by Susana Urra .
A public park in this city in western Spain is teeming with fast-multiplying fowl , and experts are warning about a health risk