Egyptian geese make a splash

By Olivia Tattory

Groundskeeper Karen March recently observed some unusual creatures swimming in Centennial Lake.

“I just noticed them one day because they looked so different from what we normally see around here,” she said. “There are two, a male and female.”

The odd-looking goose pair, nesting along the lake, is in fact very unusual around this area. The Alopochen Aegyptiacus or Egyptian goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. The species is native to Africa and is found in abundance in the Nile Valley and south of the Sahara Desert.

An E-mail sent to March from Arnold Henderson of the Highland Park Environmental Commission said the Egyptian geese in the United States were once held captive and kept on farms or in zoos. Some geese have either escaped from one of these places or are the “wild-hatched descendants of such escapees” and have been seen in two or three locations in New Jersey. For some unknown reason, the runaway geese have taken a liking to Rider’s campus and reside close to Poyda.

Following the Centennial Lake Watershed Restoration Project that took place in 2000, various new species of animals have made the lake their home.

“It’s a more natural environment for any animal to nest
around,” said Dr. Joseph Nadeau, dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The revamping has provided more natural vegetation along the edges of the lake, thus creating an environment that attracts the wildlife.

Originally, the artificial lake was surrounded by
cinderblocks, which worked to support the reservoir-like structure. After years of erosion and weathering along the lake, the cinderblocks began to cave in toward the water, leaving nothing on the edges to maintain the frame. Rider and the surrounding community worked together in the restoration of the lake. Additional vegetation was planted to stabilize the edge.

“There was a huge
number of faculty, students and community members planting around the lake over a period of time,” said Nadeau. “This
created an environment that [the geese are] undoubtedly comfortable in.”

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture allocates a certain amount of money each year to take any artificial or polluted bodies of water and transform them into more useful and attractive sites.

“Rider paid a relatively small amount compared to the state for the restoration process,” said Nadeau.

The Egyptian geese, who have come to be known as Fred and Ethel, seem to have found a home toward the back of the lake close to Poyda Hall and Gill Chapel. March has been working at Rider for the last five years and has never seen anything like it.

“Some of the biology professors have been out there trying to get a look at them,” she said.

According to Dr. Katherine Browne, academic director of the Teaching and Learning Center, the lake restoration brought various animal species to Rider including an increased number of frogs and birds. Although there have not been extensive studies conducted to determine exactly which species arrived post-restoration, it is obvious by “way of ear,” said Browne. “I can’t speak on the actual Egyptian goose species, but I can say that by increasing the diversity of vegetation, it increased the habitants.”

Fred and Ethel aren’t the most sociable animals here on campus, and although many students have seen them, all sightings have been from a
distance.

“They’re not friendly and you really can’t get any closer than 15 feet or so,” said March. “They’re not like pets or
anything.”

According to wikipedia.com, the geese are territorial during breeding season and will acclimate to nest in almost any situation. The species swims well, yet will readily perch on branches and buildings in order to survey.

Border collies supplied by the Geese Police, a group that deals with Rider’s geese, to scare away the Canada geese on campus do not seem to bother Egyptian geese, March said.