Egyptian geese threaten French swans

Having traveled a long way from sub-Saharan Africa to Eastern France, today, Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) have become familiar with the new land, even driving away the native ducks and swans. This is one of the “symptoms” of the world’s biodiversity crisis, AFP reported on October 16.

Easily recognizable by their brown eye spots, Egyptian geese are causing other birds to flee and causing trouble for tourists with their waste. “Those are geese that know how to protect their territory. They have been here for at least 15 years and will not leave. Now their numbers are increasing. When 50-100 birds appear, they can dirty the whole place.” beach in just 24 hours,” said Pascal Koensgen, deputy mayor of Lauterbourg town.

“They are an invasive species, taking over the sand and leaving waste everywhere. This is really annoying for people who come to bathe and camp,” said Eric Beck, manager of a campground next to a lake in his hometown. umbrella Lauterbourg, share.

According to the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB), between 1970 and 2000, France had less than 50 Egyptian geese in 16 provinces. But since 2005, the number of geese has skyrocketed. By January 2016, there were about 2,000 animals in 83 provinces, most concentrated in the northeastern provinces around the Rhine and Moselle rivers, near the borders of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany – countries where this animal is also present. popular.

“Originally, this was a ornamental bird released into artificial lakes and small ponds to create beautiful scenery,” said Jean-Francois Maillard, invasive alien animal expert at OFB. Over time, they were sold as pets, escaped from zoos or moved from neighboring countries, multiplied and spread.

The sale of Egyptian geese was banned in 2017, when the European Union listed them as an invasive species of concern. But according to Maillard, this ban is a bit late because geese have “stood firmly” in France. “Geese steal the nests of other species such as swans, chase them away, and act aggressively towards ducks, leading to the risk of native species being expelled,” he said.

Locals tried building fences, nets and shooting guns to drive them away, but nothing worked except extermination. Many French provinces have allowed the shooting of Egyptian geese. This year and last year in Bas-Rhin province, hunters killed 527 individuals, a significant increase from 189 between 2016 and 2017 and 78 between 2011 and 2012.

“This provides breaks, sometimes allowing other species to complete their reproductive cycles. But it will not completely solve the problem,” said Nicolas Braconnier, deputy director of the Bas-Rhin Hunter Federation , commented.