Migrating snow geese may have avian cholera

Idaho Fish and game employees and volunteers collected nearly 2000 snow geese carcasses this past weekend. They’re all part of one flock that officials believe may have picked up the disease, or one like it, down south.

“The important part is they died. And now for us, the next important thing is to stop whatever they may have had from spreading to other local birds or other migratory birds,” said Gregg Losinsky of Idaho Fish and Game.

Losinsky said the risk for other birds is higher this year with the warmer temperatures and the thawed out lakes. He also said people who see several dead birds in a small area need to report it.

It’s not all bad news. Losinsky said that while it may be hard to see a dead bird, there’s actually more snow geese than normal this year. He said that disease is just another way for mother nature to control the population.

“Sometimes things like this, even though they appear to be sad to the individual, are very important for the population as a whole,” said Losinsky.