A goose that ran into some trouble during last week’s storm has escaped the winter weather and is now enjoying an extended vacation.
The lucky bird is now recovering from the ordeal at a Maritime wildlife centre.
“He is on the lower end of the pecking order, but he is fitting in well,” says Hope Swinimer, the founder and director of Hope for Wildlife. “They are not picking on him. They seem to be one big, happy family in here.”
Calls came flooding into the centre last week after the goose became stuck on a frozen pond in Dartmouth.
“There was ice and there was a slip and a fall and people were really concerned,” says Swinimer.
With help, rescuers were able to save the goose.
“He wasn't very strong,” says Swinimer. “He was having difficulty standing up and he looked weak and exhausted. It didn't take long before he started perking up.”
The experts at Hope for Wildlife have been playing mother hen for about a week, and while they are not sure whether the goose is a he or a she, they suspect it is an older bird.
The centre won't become the goose's permanent home, however.
Once it warms up, it will be transported back to Sullivan's Pond.
“It is always hard to say goodbye, but we will probably see him again,” says the centre’s education co-ordinator, Rebecca Michelin. “He isn't going very far. We know he will be happy to get back to the rest of his family.”
Until the temperatures rise and all the ice melts, the lucky goose is fitting in nicely at its home away from home.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Felicia Yap
