CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Crews installed signs at Coonskin Park Thursday warning patrons not to feed geese and ducks in an effort to protect the airport from bird activity.
Yeager Airport and the Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission agreed on the new signage. Officials said providing wild animals with food makes the animals dependent on humans and keeps the birds in one location.
“Yeager Airport would like to thank the Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission for their assistance and support in keeping the airport as safe as possible for our airlines, military and general aviation patrons,” airport director Terry Sayre said.
There is also the issue of environmental protection; the feces of Canada geese can carry E.coli bacteria and giardiasis. One Canada goose can produce more than a pound of waste a day.
In May, the airport began using a dog, an 18-month-old border collie named Hercules, to chase animals off of the runway.