Canada geese terrorize Waterloo, Ont. neighbourhood

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WATCH: Geese terrorize neighbourhood in Waterloo, Ont.

Canada geese terrorize Waterloo, Ont. neighbourhood

A pair of Canada geese in Waterloo, Ont. are living up to their reputation as prickly and aggressive neighbours.

Jory Harris lives in Uptown Waterloo and said she first noticed the geese on her front lawn in early April.

It wasn’t long until her front door camera picked up footage of the birds harassing and even attacking passersby.

“Anyone who goes by them, we’re getting attacked,” Harris said. “Kids, dogs, adults. Anyone!”

Ethan Hughes, who also lives in the neighbourhood, said he’s had his fair share of run-ins with the belligerent birds.

“We were trying to go to our house from our cars and they came flying at us. We had to sprint up [Harris’] stairwell. My croissants went everywhere. It was horrible,” he recounted. “Now, anytime we come home from class we have to be on watch.”

The students said they’ve had to change their usual route home to try to avoid the ire of their avian adversaries.

“We’ve been leaving our house from the back side and sneaking around them. I think we’ll be fine,” Harris said.

“Sometimes we’re sneaking through our backdoor, our side door, sometimes we can’t even go into our house for 30 to 40 minutes,” Hughes added.

Why are Canada geese aggressive?

Canada geese have developed a reputation for their aggressive behaviour which includes charging, biting and a distinct hissing. The warning sound has become so common, Canadians living near their nesting grounds sometimes jokingly call the birds ‘cobra chickens.’

“Nesting Canada geese will actively defend their nest sites, and aggressive pairs can sometimes cause injuries, especially to small children or pets,” the Government of Canada warns on their website.

But getting rid of the birds is not a simple task.

“Geese are protected by the Migratory Bird Act,” Brooke Riley, an animal control officer with the Guelph Humane Society, told CTV News on Wednesday.

“It is illegal for us to interfere with them in nesting season. We have to respect that, so that’s the most we can do. What we do offer here at the Humane Society is we can post some signage in public areas,” she said.

Canadians can apply for permits to use mitigation techniques if the geese are being a nuisance or pose a danger to livestock.

The university students, meanwhile, may soon get a break from the birds.

“[The geese] only nest for up to 30 days starting in February until mid-April,” said Riley. “We’re getting to that point now where they’re going to hopefully calm down.”