Goosepocalypse? Not quite but here’s the scoop on BirdFluGate 2025:
Owosso, we’ve got some fowl play happening along the river. The Michigan DNR suspects that our local Canada geese might be dealing with Avian Influenza (Bird Flu), but they haven’t officially confirmed it yet. Still, we’re not taking any chances—so here’s what you need to know:
Bird Flu Safety 101:
❌ No high-fives or handshakes with the geese. Seriously, don’t touch them.
🐶 Keep your pets away—this isn’t the new neighborhood dog park.
🧤 Gloves & masks are your new bird-handling fashion statement. If you don’t have gloves, use an inside-out bag.
🗑️ Double bag it & toss it—think of it like taking out the trash, just with extra steps.
AND REMEMBER – Do not feed the birds. Stale Cheetos aren’t good for them and in this case, the most common side effect is death-by-flu. So just stop feeding the wildlife.
Our DPW team is on it, checking city-owned riverbanks weekly. First pass? 10 birds collected. (They were not playing a very fun version of Duck, Duck, Goose.) But DPW can’t go onto private property, so if a goose checks into your yard permanently, you’ll need to handle disposal safely.
💡 Help us out! Report any deceased birds using the DNR’s Eyes in the Field tool: 🔗 https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ors/Home.
📞 Need more info? Call the DNR at 1-800-292-7800—they know more about bird flu than we ever wanted to.
Stay safe, Owosso!