BURSTA Kelowna man who forced goslings to fall four floors onto the street will not be fined or charged, despite possibly being in contravention of a federal act.
At about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, the Kelowna RCMP responded to the Madison apartment building in the 500 block of Doyle Street for a report of someone pushing goslings off the fourth floor of the building.
A bystander filmed the incident, showing the goslings, who can’t fly yet, falling to the sidewalk. In the video, the man is shown using a pool noodle to scare the birds.
The RCMP were accompanied by the BC Conservation Officer Service, who relocated three uninjured goslings to Okanagan Lake along with two adult geese. Two of the goslings sustained injuries from the fall and were transported to a wildlife rehabilitation centre for care.
The individual responsible “was educated about proper wildlife removal procedures,” said Kelowna RCMP media relations officer Steven Lang.
At this point, none of the goslings have died. However, Canada Geese are protected federally under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Because of this, killing or disturbing migratory birds, such as geese, without a permit is illegal. Breaking the act in Canada carries severe penalties, including hefty fines and potential imprisonment.
According to Lang, the individual said that the building has experienced issues with geese over the last few years and has not found a solution to deal with the concern.
Black Press Media has reached out to BC Conservation Service for more information.