More than a dozen dead geese dumped in Kansas City parking lot. Was it illegal?
A pile of more than a dozen dead Canada Geese were piled in a CVS Kansas City parking lot on Monday morning — and officials don’t know why.
The carcasses were stacked on the edge of the parking lot of the pharmacy at the intersection on Main and 39th streets. The animals were partially butchered — but there was no noticeable smell or signs of foraging from animals.
“It’s disgusting,” said Leslie Bayer, a Hyde Park resident who stopped at the store to pick up a prescription.
The dead geese had been removed by Monday afternoon, city spokeswoman Sherae Honeycutt said in an email.
Ala Salem, the manager of the Wholesale Furniture Center on Main Street, couldn’t keep his eyes off the carcasses as he circled them. He described the situation as sad. He said he’s had problems with litter in the CVS side of the building.
The geese were piled on a grassy area against the furniture store’s wall, though the parking lot belongs to the CVS.
The situation is unusual, said Jobe Edwards, who investigated the incident for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“The way that they discarded those carcasses is not the ethical or proper way to do so,” Edwards said.
Edwards said CVS employees reviewed surveillance camera footage and believed the carcasses were dropped off by a dark truck on Saturday night or Sunday morning. The camera angle made CVS employees unable to make out a license plate number or suspect description.
CVS employees told Edwards they were going to ask the city to dispose of the bodies, though they were still present more than 24 hours after being dumped.
City residents should put carcasses out with their household trash, and rural residents can leave them on their own property, Edwards said.
If a suspect or suspects were identified, Edwards said they could face a littering charge from the city. Fines for illegal dumping go up to $1,000 in Kansas City.
While Canada goose hunting season in Missouri lasts until Tuesday, each hunter is only allowed to harvest three birds per day. Hunters can not discharge guns within the city limits, according to the city code of ordinances.
If you find evidence of poaching in Missouri, you can contact the department of conservation’s anonymous hotline at 1-800-392-1111.
The CVS store manager declined to comment.
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 2:17 PM.
