Thursday, August 30, 2012

Fake coyotes used to scare geese at Mich. beach

In an Aug. 28, 2012 photo, Howell Parks & Recreation Dept. employee Mary Steward places one of several coyote decoys in the beach sands of the Howell City Park's swimming beach. The fake critters are expected to scare away geese which regularly use the area, fouling the waters of nearby Thompson Lake. (AP Photo/Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, Alan Ward) NO SALES

In an Aug. 28, 2012 photo, Howell Parks & Recreation Dept. employee Mary Steward places one of several coyote decoys in the beach sands of the Howell City Park's swimming beach. The fake critters are expected to scare away geese which regularly use the area, fouling the waters of nearby Thompson Lake. (AP Photo/Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, Alan Ward) NO SALES

In an Aug. 28, 2012 photo, dozens of geese paddle in the waters of Thompson Lake near the Lake Street boat launch at JHowell City Park. The nearby beach at Howell City Park is expected to be closed for the rest of the summer swimming season because of elevated E. coli levels, believed to be coming from the geese excretions that line some waterfronts. The Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority is hoping fake coyotes encourage the birds to land elsewhere. (AP Photo/Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, Alan Ward) NO SALES

(AP) ? A Michigan community that's fed up with geese fouling up a beach is hoping fake coyotes encourage the birds to land elsewhere.

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell and WHMI-FM report that the beach on Thompson Lake at Howell City Park is expected to be closed for the rest of the summer swimming season because of elevated E. coli levels. The beach was shut down this month and goose poop is blamed.

Debbie Mikula is director of the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority. She says the fake coyotes have shown some success in keeping the birds away. They're being moved at night to trick the geese into thinking they're real.

The hope is that the beach about 45 miles northwest of Detroit will reopen next year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-08-29-US-ODD-Fake-Coyotes-Beach/id-6ca4d49278ed42aca25234829f750d01

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