A photo of a man holding two geese on the street in Ohio went viral and was used to fuel claims that immigrants were devouring pets, but this was reportedly just empty talk.
The unnamed man was photographed earlier this week removing the carcasses of two birds from a road that had been hit by a car, according to the Ohio Department of Wildlife. Confirmed by TMZ.
The department said there was no evidence he was taking the drugs as food or that he was a migrant.
The incident happened in Columbus, more than 45 miles from Springfield, where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has alleged that immigrants are munching on wildlife and pets.
This story was originally posted on Share on Columbus subreddit The photo, taken in July, shows a man walking down a suburban road holding a goose.
A few weeks later, a Springfield resident called 911 to report seeing four Haitian immigrants kidnapping a geese near a city park.
President Trump mentioned the incident at a rally in Arizona earlier this week, amplifying his claims that illegal immigrants are devouring pets.
“Recorded 911 calls show residents reporting that migrants are taking the town's geese and leaving,” Trump told the crowd.
“They're taking the geese away. Do you know where they're at? Parks or lakes. Sometimes they're walking around with their pets.”
Local authorities have repeatedly denied the rumors and insist there have been no credible reports of pets being stolen and eaten. President Trump addressed the controversial allegations during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
“They're eating dogs. They're eating cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump told the crowd.
