A local councillor warned: ‘If you want to eat a goose for Christmas – buy one. Go to the butchers or a supermarket. Not your local park.’
22:43, 22 Dec 2025Updated 22:44, 22 Dec 2025
There are fears geese are being taken from a park in Newport for use on the dinner table at Christmas(Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)
A popular Welsh city park has been left unsettled after five pet geese vanished within the space of a week, sparking fears they may have ended up on festive dinner tables. The birds, which live along a stream running through Black Ash Park in Lliswerry, Newport, are owned by a local resident and are kept as pets rather than livestock.
Once numbering around a dozen, almost half of the flock has disappeared, prompting concern among those who regularly use the park.
Newport Council ward councillor for Lliswerry, Cllr Allan Morris, said the geese have been a familiar sight in the area for many years. “The geese have been there as far back as I can remember really,” he told WalesOnline. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here.
“They’re like little local celebrities. They live on the stream that runs through Black Ash Park – there’s quite a flock of them – and they’re semi-tame.
“There’s a person who owns them but they [the geese] don’t really see it like that.
“They can look after themselves.”
Allan admitted that the birds have long divided opinion locally but are widely regarded as part of the community. “The locals either love them or hate them,” he said. “It’s mostly love, but there are one or two who don’t like the mess they make on their lawn. It would be fair to say they are a part of our community.”
However, concerns were raised after the owner contacted the councillor to report that several of the geese had suddenly disappeared.
“The owner rang me a week or so ago and he was most concerned that five or six of his geese had suddenly disappeared,” Allan said. “He just said it can’t be coincidence – given the time of year. It’s Christmas time and our geese are getting nicked.”
With goose being one of the meats that is traditionally served at Christmas, suspicions have turned towards festive theft, although there is no evidence to confirm what has happened to the missing birds. In light of the theft, Allan said he shared a message on Facebook urging people to leave the park’s geese alone.
“I told people that if you want to eat a goose for Christmas – buy one,” he said. “Go to the butchers or a supermarket. Not your local park.”
He also dismissed online speculation attempting to link the disappearances to immigrants. “People want to jump on this narrative, but I have not seen any evidence of that whatsoever,” he said. “Those who live in our community are fitting in very well and are very much a part of our community.”
The disappearance marks a first for Allan, who said that such an incident has never been reported in the area before. “I’ve not heard of foxes or other wildlife going missing in the area,” he said. “It is upsetting to think that someone may have taken them. You should respect your area and the animals who live there.”
According to Allan, local residents have now begun keeping an eye on the remaining birds. “The geese have many friends in the area who are now watching out for them,” he added. “Some people will be glad they’re gone, but a lot of us will miss them – me being one of them.”