Geese undertake remarkable migrations of thousands of kilometers. Human activities including hunting, habitat loss, and collision hazards create welfare challenges along migration routes.
Wild geese face welfare challenges that span their entire migratory range. Migratory species that cross international borders face hunting pressure that varies dramatically between countries — geese protected in one country may be heavily hunted in another along the same flyway. Lead poisoning from ingesting spent lead shot contaminating wetlands causes a prolonged neurological death affecting hundreds of thousands of waterfowl annually. Urban geese that have reduced or ceased migration face different welfare challenges from lethal control programs, harassment, and habitat degradation in park settings. Welfare-positive goose management recognizes the extraordinary complexity of migratory behavior and the individual welfare significance of animals capable of multi-thousand kilometer journeys.