The Quandary of “Cobra Chickens”: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Coverage of Canadian Geese in the United States and Canada

Abstract

In May 2023, the Vancouver Park Board decided to organise a cull in an attempt to control the growing population of Canadian geese. My research aims to uncover how Canadian Geese in the U.S. and Canada are represented by media coverage. My research draws on the concept of geographical imaginaries from political ecology and animal geographies. In particular, I consider the geographical imaginary of cities as places where certain animals ‘do not belong.’

I analysed numerous media sources to find recurring themes: to consider how the geese, their population increase and the threat they are seen to pose, as well as alternative population control methods, are described. I categorised each article to see whether their content fell under that particular theme. To gain further insights, I conducted an interview with the Park Board Authorities to understand what factors led to their decision to cull the geese.

My results shows that a majority of the articles describe the geese in a negative light due to their droppings and aggressive nature. Articles frequently describe or imply that the geese do not belong in urban areas, consistent with the geographical imaginary of cities that animal geographers have identified. This research can be used to encourage more effective co-existence strategies between humans and wildlife.