LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center has received plenty of calls regarding grounded geese in Lubbock. 75 of those calls came on Sunday alone.<\/p>\n
Sarah Hollers, the center\u2019s director, said the winter weather in Lubbock is not what\u2019s keeping these geese grounded. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s happening is these geese are flying and they\u2019re losing the function of flight while in the air,\u201d Hollers said, \u201cso they\u2019re essentially falling from the sky because of, most likely, avian flu. Avian flu attacks the brain and their spinal cord, so if they\u2019re flying and they lose function, they\u2019re just going to land.\u201d<\/p>\n
This continues a recent trend for the rehabilitation center. Hollers said the center has received more than 200 live geese and picked up 175 dead geese all over Lubbock since December.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are putting them in their car and they\u2019re getting that really contaminated fluid, which will get humans, cats and children sick, on their car, on their clothes, on their shoes,\u201d Hollers said.<\/p>\n
Hollers said there\u2019s a few key things that can make a sick goose stand out from a healthy one. First, a goose is almost always with its flock, so one that isn\u2019t has most likely lost the ability to see.<\/p>\n
Other things to look out for include geese suddenly dropping from the sky while in flight, walking in the middle of the street, and a discharge that can come from the eyes, nose, or mouth.<\/p>\n
Both the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Lubbock Animal Services are responding to calls about geese, but Hollers hopes people make sure to stay safe and take a step back when trying to assess the conditions of these birds.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalling us beforehand is a huge help so that we can walk them through the process,\u201d Hollers said. \u201cWear gloves, put a mask on and put them into a container so it doesn\u2019t get those fluids all over you, your car, your clothes, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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