A secret cull of Canada geese sparked outrage among members at one of the UK’s most exclusive tennis clubs.
According to The Times, eight geese—including goslings—were shot by marksmen at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, Surrey, on July 16.
Gunshots were heard around 5.25am.
A long-standing club member told The Times: “The members have always liked the geese.
“It is sometimes a bit annoying because they amble on to the courts and leave their poo.
“But that does not mean they had to be shot.
“It’s a private estate and the residents are concerned about a firearm being brought in without any warning.”
A secret cull of Canada geese at a Surrey tennis club has sparked anger among some members (Image: Contributed)
Canada geese can produce up to 2lbs (0.9kg) of droppings per day, leaving club management struggling to keep the 34 tennis courts clean.
Miles Hill, chief executive of the club, said: “We fully understand that some members and estate residents have been upset by what occurred.
“This was not a decision the club wished to take, nor one that was taken lightly.
“It followed many months of attempting to manage a growing resident population of Canada geese through enhanced cleaning and non-lethal measures.
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“The decision was taken primarily on the grounds of public health and public safety.”
Some members claimed they were told told the birds had been relocated to Claremont Landscape Garden, about two miles away.
Mr Hill said the club deliberately kept the cull confidential to carry it out ‘safely and effectively’ and to ‘avoid causing unnecessary concern, distress or alarm over what was a lawful operational matter undertaken in the interests of public health and safety’.
He added that the club is reviewing its wildlife management strategy, with plans to focus on habitat changes, humane deterrence, and reserving lethal measures as an ‘absolute last resort’.