Could Swans Be Used to Combat Radnor's Geese?

By Natalie Daher

Mother Nature graced the Willows with many aesthetically pleasing, sweet-smelling gifts. But in many opinions, the infestation of geese is not one of them.

With the intentions of removing the geese, Radnor director of public works recently pitched the idea to combat the birds with other birds. Namely, mute swans.

The Willows Park, a 47-acre property and former residence, has been home to Canada geese for decades. But the geese’s waste, earning the manor the nickname “Goose Poop Field,” has stirred debate amongst Radnor citizens, inflamed by public works director Stephen F. Norcini’s memo to drive out the birds with swans. In addition to Norcini’s proposal, alternative methods to eradicate the geese have been discussed amongst citizens and other township committee members.

State and federal laws restrict Radnor from hunting the birds, which has spurred a wealth of alternative ideas over the past few decades. Despite the protections, the geese still prove to be a nuisance in several areas in Delaware County, along with bordering states.

“This [protection] turns out to be a problem in a lot of places so maybe it’s about time they come off the protected list,” said John Nagle, Radnor Board Commissioner.

In addition to the unsightliness of the geese’s waste, Nagle is concerned with its health risks. He cited the prevalence of disease in pigeons’ feces, as well as the concern over the possible salmonella in the backyard chickens’ droppings. As a result, the Board of Commissioners also recruited the Board of Health, Parks & Recreation Board and potentially the Environmental Advisory Board to tackle the issue.

“You would think because it’s feces, it’s got to be bad,” he said. “I think there is a probability that the geese’s feces could carry something hazardous.

History of the Willows Geese

The geese were initially brought to the estate by choice. Shortly after the Great Depression, Mary Golden Geist Zantzinger and her husband Alfred Zantzinger moved into the mansion after several, short turnovers in ownership sparked by Prohibition and the declining economy. The couple and resided in the estate, which they dubbed “Maral Brook,” until 1972.

Since the duck house on the property was presumably out of operation for several years, the Zantzingers obtained two Canada geese from a wild game farm in Yardley, allowing them to inhabit the lake. The original pair transformed into the large flock that resides there now.

Removal Methods: Present & Past

Nagle said that he has received several emails from citizens over the past few days opposing the use of swans to repel the geese. The major complaint is the swans’ aggression, which would deem the park too dangerous to bring children. While Nagle has not decided upon a position on the swans yet, he mentioned several futile tactics that the township enacted over the past 25 years.

The township’s former initiatives included releasing border collies, growing the grass around the pond to higher levels and arranging invisible fishing line at the geese’s height to bewilder them away from the pond, Nagle told Radnor Patch.

In one case, they hired a man to capture the geese, load them in a truck and drive them to North Carolina. But the bird’s residential nature made the method unsuccessful.

“They were back before he was back,” Nagle said. “The specific type of goose is not migratory, so it returns to where it considers home.”

Some followers of the issue have disagreed with tampering with the geese’s presence at all, especially in online commentary. The point of view stems from a hands-off approach towards nature.

But Commissioner Nagle disagreed.

“We have an obligation to our citizens... We’ve already messed with nature, and that’s why we have this problem,” Nagle said. “Because we eliminated the predators, nature is out of balance. The people who say 'don’t mess with nature' don’t understand this — It’s too late, the cat’s out of the bag.”