Suspected killer of the Goose population at Westlake Park

Victoria from Wigram

I am a regular visitor to Westlake Park - walking with my dog, enjoying the community space, watching the children playing sport, families enjoying the surroundings and park and taking in the very friendly bird life on the lake. So many of us enjoy feeding the birds and enjoying watching them raise their little families on the water. I'm hoping that you are familiar with the Geese at Westlake too - very trusting and taking the bread or seed directly from your hand. I have always immersed myself in this wee community however of late I have noticed a dwindling number of Geese and this last week I was talking to a couple who live on the perifery of the park and they mentioned to me that a couple of months ago their was 15 Geese who lived on the lake - all females. They have noticed the numbers dwindling over time and on searching can find no dead geese and as they cannot fly this has concerned them . Last Thursday there were only 5 Geese in total and they are aware of an elderly man that they reckon to be in his eighties who frequents the park with his camera and telescopic lens and is seen sitting on the shores supposedly taking 'photos'. This man has been overheard saying that the Geese are not native to the lake or area and they should be removed - in fact this conversation was with a Park Ranger. It is known that this same gentleman scopes out the Geese and in the early hours of the morning, decks himself out in waders and walks across to the island and disposes of the geese. Now we don't know how he is killing the birds but their bodies disappear. I was more than horrified to hear that this is happening in my community that someone has appointed himself to the position of "assassin" and is killing defenceless birds. This same gentleman who told me this horrific news says that he has been in touch with the council and police repeatedly but absolutely nothing has been done to stop this. I am hoping that this post will alert others in the neighbourhood who enjoy Westlake Park like I do to be aware of this evil person - be on the look out for an elderly man - slightly built walking or sitting on the banks of the lake with his camera.
Please lets spread the word as this morning on my walk there I saw only 2 Geese.
Please help preserve the wildlife - native or not, we are not here to judge, only to enjoy.!!!

Victoria