Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers were called to the Sandpiper Golf & Country Club Thursday after two geese were run over and killed by a golf cart, an official at the course told CTV News Edmonton.
Images of the dead geese were posted to Facebook by user Brad Anderson. In the post Anderson said he “watched the course superintendent drive through a flock of geese, at full speed, and run over and kill two of them.”
Kevin Easthope, Sandpiper’s Head Professional and general manager confirmed the deaths to CTV News Edmonton and said his course does not condone using a golf cart to kill wildlife.
A post on the Sandpiper Facebook page, which Easthope confirmed was issued by course management but has since been removed, said the superintendent was driving the cart in an attempt to “herd” the geese off the course when, “2 of the geese swerved away from the pond and were run over.”
The post called the employee responsible “a loving family man” and said “he would never harm any one (sic) or anything maliciously.”
“I thought it was disgusting,” St. Albert resident Cristy Bryant told CTV News Edmonton just outside of Sandpiper’s gates. “I feel like there’s better ways to try to deter the geese from going on the course.”
Bryant saw the post on Facebook and was upset by it.
“I would just hope that they have a little more respect for wildlife in the future. And that, you know, they’re a little more cautious and concerned about it … I’ll never golf here again.”
CTV News Edmonton reached out to Alberta Fish and Wildlife for comment and to find out if charges have or will be laid, but has not received an immediate response.
Late Thursday night, Sandpiper posted an updated response on its Facebook page:
