Canada geese being treated at Youngwood rehab center after suffering fishing line injuries

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2 days ago

Jun. 4—Six Canada geese, including two whose lived at Twin Lakes Park, have been treated in recent days at a Youngwood wildlife rehabilitation organization for injuries related to discarded fishing line.
The severe injuries are typically the result of fishing line being wrapped tightly around their legs, said Beth Shoaf, executive director of Wildlife Works and senior rehabilitator.
"I think it's out of the ordinary for me to have six geese here at one time that all are in as a result of fishing line injuries," she said Monday. One of the six was released Tuesday.
The injuries have prompted Wildlife Works staff members and others to volunteer for hours over the past couple weeks picking up discarded clumps of fishing line and dozens of lead sinkers and fishing hooks from the banks of Twin Lakes Park.
"I was astonished at the volume, at the sheer magnitude and what all of that could mean for animal suffering because it's out there in the environment," Shoaf said.
The popular fishing spot, which straddles Hempfield and Unity, at one time had PVC pipe receptacles that fishers could use to dispose of line and other tools of the trade, said Brandon Simpson, former Westmoreland County parks director. But they were removed two to three years ago after staff encountered issues with the receptacles getting stuffed full of trash not related to fishing.
Those PVC receptacles are used as intended at two other county parks — Northmoreland and Mammoth, he said.
At Twin Lakes, signage remains encouraging fishers to dispose of their waste in nearby trash receptacles, Simpson said. Parks director Mark Katarski, who started the job in the past month, encouraged park users to do their part to help keep it clean.
"It's a good chance for us all to be reminded that our parks are only as good as our citizens and visitors," Katarski said.
Geese and goslings with fishing line injuries have come to Wildlife Works this year from around the area, including Ligonier Township, North Park, Pittsburgh, Washington and Indiana counties and Maryland, Shoaf said. One gosling and one goose came from Twin Lakes, she said, noting that it is a widespread issue and can affect wildlife other than geese as well as park visitors and pets.
Two geese have been euthanized recently as a result of fishing line injuries, Shoaf said.
Canada geese, which are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, are family oriented creatures, so any disruption to the unit creates stress. If Wildlife Works staff are able to successfully rehabilitate geese that come into their care, the birds are released in the same area where they were found.
Wildlife Works senior staff members Aislinn Morris and Shannon Sapolich have spent hours combing the banks of small sections of the upper and lower lakes at Twin Lakes Park, coming away with the hooks, sinkers, fishing line and other trash.
"It's much worse than we were expecting," Sapolich said. "We were both kind of astounded just by how much there is."
"That's something we'd like to work with ... the county about," Morris said. "Those are very heavily fished areas."
They plan to eventually move their operations to other parks around the area.
Twin Lakes park staff encounter the discarded line and other trash on a daily basis, Simpson said.
"Our crews do what they can ... but they're only so many people in so many areas of the park," Katarski said.
Westmoreland parks and Wildlife Works staff encouraged park visitors to clean up after themselves and others and be mindful of their impact on the surroundings.
"Everything in an environment is important for the health of an environment," Sapolich said. "We all live here, including the wildlife. It's always good to avoid suffering if we can help prevent it."
"These creatures, they are our wild neighbors ..." Shoaf said, "we should be treating them with the same respect and giving them the dignity of living their lives as they are intended to be without interference."
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at [e-mail].