LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Hundreds of dead geese have been collected by the town of Ransom Canyon over the past 90 days, prompting officials to warn residents about potential avian flu exposure.
City officials are asking residents to stay away from any birds that appear sick, injured or dead. Elena Quintanilla, the city administrator for Ransom Canyon, said the town’s lake is full of dead geese.
“We are now seeing approximately 350 to 400 of these geese or birds laying around in the roads and along in the lake areas,” Quintanilla said. “As you know we have a large lake and as a result these lakes are appearing around the playa lakes in West Texas.”
Quintanilla said the die-off is due in part to the winter storm which caused the geese to freeze and eventually show up on the shoreline now that it’s thawing.
Don’t touch sick or dead birds
Quintanilla asks residents to let professionals handle all sick or dead birds.
“They have given us all protocols and precautionary measures on how to handle them,” Quintanilla said. “So with the combination with our police department, our public works officials and also other officials from the city of Lubbock, we have been handling the geese ourselves.”
VIEWER QUESTION: Is it possible for a cat to become infected with the bird flu and then pass it on to its owner?The Answer: “There’s always a chance and this is about taking as many precautions as we can,” Wells said. ” There is some documentation around other animal species contracting bird flu and cats are one of those. So, we also want to take precautions around sick felines.”Contact police department
James Hill, chief of police for Ransom Canyon, said residents should contact the police department with questions or to make reports within city limits.
“We have listed as the police department, we are also animal control out here,” Hill said. “Please call the police department and if we have an officer available we will send one down there, get it taken care of and get it disposed of properly.”
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