Chinese border city turns to out-of-the-box ally to help contain imported Covid-19 cases: geese
- Geese are practical “border agents” because they make a lot of noise when approached by strangers
- Near Vietnam, the city of Chongzuo has a rugged border that can be difficult to patrol
A Chinese city is deploying a strange ally as the country tries to keep its borders sealed to prevent possible imported cases of Covid-19: geese.
“We have a long dividing line that covers rivers, plains as well as dangerous mountains. In certain areas where technology like surveillance and drones are not available, we have to resort to people, dogs and geese; everything we can think of,” an official surnamed Li from the command centre’s publicity department told the South China Morning Post.
“Geese are a good supplement to dogs because they are sensitive to sounds and squawk loudly when they see a stranger. In fact, sometimes they can be more aggressive than dogs,” he said.
He said they are also quickly available because they are among the most common livestock in the water-rich region, which features Karst mountain landscapes.
Li said that a basic epidemic checkpoint squad normally comprises a couple of border agents, two geese and a dog.
