The viral picture of a man holding two geese on an Ohio street being used to fuel claims that migrants have been gobbling up pets was nothing more than a wild goose chase, according to a report.
The anonymous man who was snapped carrying the bodies of two birds earlier this week was removing them from the street after they were hit by a car, the Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed to TMZ.
There is no evidence he was taking them home to eat or that he is a migrant, the agency said.
The incident happened in Columbus — more than 45 miles away from the city of Springfield where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed migrants were gobbling up wildlife and pets.
The viral snapshot was originally shared on the Columbus subreddit in July and shows a man walking down a suburban street holding a goose.
Weeks later, a Springfield resident called 911 to report spotting four Haitian migrants snatching geese near a city park.
Trump referenced the incident at a rally in Arizona earlier this week to bolster claims that illegal immigrants are chowing down on pets.
“A recording of 911 calls show that residents are reporting that the migrants are walking off with the town’s geese,” Trump told the crowd.
“They’re taking the geese. You know where the geese are? In the park, in the lake. And even walking off with their pets.”
Local authorities have repeatedly debunked the rumors, contending there’s been no credible reports of pets being stolen and eaten. Trump discussed the controversial allegations during his Tuesday debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump told the crowd.
