Look up in the sky around East Kootenay lakes and rivers and you just might spot an interesting companion to BC Hydro poles.

In a new initiative that began in the East Kootenay this spring, several decoy geese have been installed on perches on poles. Called ‘goose guards,’ they act as a scarecrow against osprey that use transmission and distribution poles as favourite places to build nests.

The nests can cause outages and service interruptions for BC Hydro customers, and can be dangerous for the osprey.

Since June, BC Hydro has installed three goose guards around the East Kootenay, in Baynes Lake, Fernie, and near Lake Koocanusa. So far, the new initiative has been successful and osprey have been steering clear of the decoy geese, choosing to build nests elsewhere.

BC Hydro

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