Witness says driver intentionally hit and killed baby geese

MANSFIELD, Ohio – It’s a familiar sight in Northeast Ohio. A family of Canada geese crosses a road, bringing traffic to a standstill. However, a witness to such a scene said he believed a driver had intentionally run over the animals.

John Finley was walking with his fiancée on N. Main Street in Mansfield on Monday when an adult Canada goose and four goslings walked across the busy road.

“It was a big group of them and it was just one of those moments where it was so nice to see them,” said Finley, who was sitting behind another car that had stopped while others pulled up behind them.

Finley said they saw a black pickup truck approaching in the northbound lane.

“The vehicle slowed down. We thought he was going to let them pass, but then he accelerated,” Finley said.

“As he accelerated, he hit the mother and four of the goslings,” he added, telling Fox 8 that the driver sped off.

Finley said his fiancée, who was driving, pulled over and they both got out to see if there was anything they could do to help the birds.

“The geese were injured, of course. I picked up two of them and one had apparently already died, mom picked up the other one and we got them off the road.”

He described witnessing the incident as traumatic. “They suffered. The mother managed for a while and died in my fiancée’s arms.”

Finley said he called police and was extremely pleased that officers took the incident seriously, filed their own report and contacted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The species is protected nationwide as a migratory bird.

“If they are under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the bird itself, its young and its eggs are protected. “That means you can’t physically harm them unless you have special permission from the government to do so,” says Laurie Brown, a wildlife research technician with the ODNR who typically deals with human-wildlife conflicts in Northeast Ohio.

Male and female Canada geese mate for life. According to Brown, this is the time of year when they mate and can become very aggressive in an attempt to protect their young.

They are also protected by Ohio law.

Intentionally killing the animals is punishable by a fine of up to $250 and up to 30 days in jail per bird.

“We know that accidents happen from time to time, but when we know that someone is intentionally running them over, then we actually have to take care of the situation,” Brown said.

Finley is offering a $250 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the driver responsible.

He is asking anyone who can help to contact police or message him directly on his Facebook messenger, saying those with information can share it anonymously.

“He saw the geese. There’s no question in my mind that he didn’t see the geese. This was an intentional act of animal cruelty,” Finley said.