The suit filed in Denver District Court claims the culling violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

DENVER — The group Friends of Animals has filed a lawsuit against the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services over the killing of about 1,600 geese.

Denver Parks and Recreation recently rounded up geese in Denver parks and slaughtered them in an effort to control the city's goose population.

The suit alleges that the groups violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and National Environmental Policy Act when they conducted "clandestine raids" on the Canada Goose population "in the dead of night".

Canada geese are protected by federal law, but the government can give cities and states permission to control out-of-control populations.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife gave USDA a permit to cull up to 2,200 geese, Cyndi Karvaski, a spokesperson for Denver Parks and Recreation said — 1,662 geese were rounded up, and the majority of those geese came from Denver, she said.

Friends of Animals argued that the groups violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act "by going beyond the actions expressly authorized" by its permit.

The meat from the geese was processed and then went to families in need outside of Denver, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist Kendra Cross. That action violated the National Environmental Policy Act, according to the lawsuit.

It alleges the groups needed to conduct new or supplemental environmental analysis with the regard to plan to process the meat for human consumption, but failed to do so.

In the suit, the group argues the geese "could potentially be exposed to environmental contaminants in Denver parks" and said that could result in the meat being "unfit for human consumption."

Denver Parks and Recreation is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, instead only the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Services and (APHIS) Wildlife Services are included in the suit.

Friends of Animals is a non-profit international advocacy group based in New York.