Editor’s Note: After the town supervisor initially shared results of testing, the county clarified they were overseeing the process and final results had not been returned yet.
A park in Westchester County was shut down after 12 dead Canada geese were found in the pond, with officials worried it could have been a result of bird flu.
The gate to Carroll Park in Mount Pleasant was locked Wednesday night, along with a sign posted telling people to stay away. It came days after the birds were found dead on the ice and in the water of the partially frozen pond, a startling site when the police chief saw it over the weekend.
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WATCH HERE"I was able to observe it was about a dozen dead Canadian geese on the ice and in the water," said Mount Pleasant Police Chief Paul Oliva. "I’m thinking this is definitely uncommon and we should be cautious how we handle this."
Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi on Friday said test results came back for the dead geese and confirmed the presence of bird flu. The next day, a Westchester County spokesperson clarified that the health department was still in the process of testing the animals.
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SIGN UP Earlier that same day, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the closure of all live poultry markets in New York City and some of its suburbs after the detection of seven cases of bird flu.
Avian flu is on the rise around the country, mostly impacting animals. But 67 humans contracted in the virus in the U.S. in 2024 and one person died, according to the New York State Department of Health. Out of an abundance of caution, officials in Mount Pleasant have been sending warnings to the public to stay away from dead birds.
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"There’s always a possibility of picking up something. It could be on your shoe, whatever. Especially a dog, I would be concerned of a dog picking up something because of feces from the geese," said Fulgenzi.
Officials said the geese were found in the pond only and not in other parts of the park, like the children’s playground. But geese could still be seen inside the park Wednesday. A laser device will be set up to deter geese from coming to the pond, according to officials.
It was not immediately clear how long the park would remain closed.
