Neighbors in Miramar are outraged after multiple geese were killed in their neighborhood lake. Miramar is a bird sanctuary. NBC 6 Alyssa Hyman reports.
Neighbors in the Silver Lakes community in Miramar were shocked after seeing dead and dying geese.
“It was horrible to think that they died such a gross death,” resident Rose Carlo said.
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“Getting rid of them is not the right answer,” neighbor Julio Diez said. “Not the way they did it and I’m very sad about that.”
Diez lives in Coconut Bay and says he loved seeing the geese around the lake behind his house as did many of his neighbors.
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“We are very upset because we found out that Pines Management apparently called this company who came here and killed over 20 geese," Diez said.
NBC 6 reached out to Rolando Calzadilla, the owner and manager of Pest Wildlife Pro who said he was hired by the association’s management company
He said that while some people love the geese, others find them a nuisance. After an initial assessment and surveying, Calzadilla said he came to the community Tuesday to complete the job.
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“I do this very humanely. I bate them with a bread with a sedative. Usually within 30 mins they fall asleep,” Calzadilla said.
During the process, he says a car drove by and spooked the birds causing them to fly off.
“I found them. I started removing them from the water while they were still not drowned, but the people that were there were so angry and aggressive with me that I had to stop what I was doing and call the police,” Calzadilla said.
Some of the neighbors were so outraged they reached out to the mayor, who messaged the residents saying the incident violates the city’s ordinance since Miramar is a bird sanctuary city and saying the pest company and the association will receive a notice to appear and could face fines.
“You’re not allowed to kill birds in the city of Miramar in that nature that was shown in the photographs,” Mayor Wayne Messam said. “The association and the vendor will have an opportunity to explain the actions before the magistrate.”
The geese in question are a non-native species. In florida, it’s legal to remove and even kill them, according to the FLorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Calzadilla admits he did not know the city was considered a bird sanctuary.
“It was a teaching moment for me,” Calzadilla said. “It means I not only have to make sure that I’m in line with the federal government and the state, I also have to make sure I reach out to the city code enforcement department before I do any of this type of work in the future.”
NBC 6 reached out to the association for comment but no there was no response as of publication.
NBC 6 did obtain a letter that was sent out to the residents Wednesday evening. In it the association said it shares in the outrage as to the methods that were used and is actively engaged with legal counsel.
