Chiang Mai Introduces Geese to Clean Moat

CHIANG MAI, Aug 22 (TNA) – The city of Chiang Mai has introduced a flock of geese into its moat in a seven-day trial to improve water quality, sparking a public spectacle and immediate concerns about traffic and sanitation.

Chiang Mai Mayor Atsani Buranupakorn stated the municipality released the geese to feed on duckweed and other weeds in the city’s moats. The geese, currently housed in a pen on the moat’s bank, will also be given a pen in the middle of the water. Officials will monitor the project and guide the geese back to their enclosure at night.

The Mayor dismissed concerns that goose droppings would pollute the water, stating the waste would become a food source for fish. The municipality plans to release 40,000 fish into the moat to further improve water quality. The project will be carefully evaluated after the trial period to determine its long-term viability.

The initiative, however, immediately drew widespread attention and criticism on social media. A flock of 10 geese was observed on Friday running through the streets and onto sidewalks near the southern part of the moat, causing traffic disruptions as motorists and pedestrians stopped to watch and take photos. -819 (TNA)