Geese discovered useless in a Westchester County park this week examined optimistic for fowl flu, county officers confirmed days after shuttering the park.
The gate to Carroll Park in Mount Nice was locked Wednesday night time, together with an indication posted telling individuals to remain away. It got here days after the birds had been discovered useless on the ice and within the water of the partially frozen pond, a startling web site when the police chief noticed it over the weekend.
“I was able to observe it was about a dozen dead Canadian geese on the ice and in the water,” mentioned Mount Nice Police Chief Paul Oliva. “I’m thinking this is definitely uncommon and we should be cautious how we handle this.”
Mount Nice City Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi on Friday mentioned check outcomes got here again for the useless geese and confirmed the presence of fowl flu.
Earlier that very same day, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the closure of all stay poultry markets in New York Metropolis and a few of its suburbs after the detection of seven instances of fowl flu.
Avian flu is on the rise across the nation, principally impacting animals. However 67 people contracted within the virus within the U.S. in 2024 and one individual died, in response to the New York State Division of Well being. Out of an abundance of warning, officers in Mount Nice have been sending warnings to the general public to avoid useless birds.
“There’s always a possibility of picking up something. It could be on your shoe, whatever. Especially a dog, I would be concerned of a dog picking up something because of feces from the geese,” mentioned Fulgenzi.
Officers mentioned the geese had been discovered within the pond solely and never in different elements of the park, like the youngsters’s playground. However geese might nonetheless be seen contained in the park Wednesday. A laser gadget can be set as much as deter geese from coming to the pond, in response to officers.
It was not instantly clear how lengthy the park would stay closed.
