You may have noticed the gathering of Canada geese by the Dieppe traffic circle. This happens every year, but at least one motorist has expressed concerns for both the drivers and the birds.
The worry is, many of them try to cross the highway with their babies, which creates a traffic hazard.
Director of Wildlife Care at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute Pam Novak says the number of Canada geese nesting in that area, is actually on the rise, “It’s actually a very nice little micro-habitat for geese to have their young. It is a very attractive site for them because you have a very calm water body, and you have growth that is starting to come up around it and it gives them some protection. “
She says they get calls from both the general public and from the RCMP when the birds get hit there, “It’s by instinct that the parent birds want to get their young down to the bigger open water, so they have to walk their young over to the waters going down into the Petitcodiac, so it creates a danger for them. When we get the calls for them, either the parents are separated from the young, or they get hit on the road. It’s even dangerous for the volunteers to try and help out in such a busy traffic spot.”
At this point, there isn’t a big enough concern to put up signs or to have the birds moved, so the best advice, is to use caution when driving, between now and July.
