Gosling Rescue

 

The other day when Kelli and I were down at the beach, we noticed a family of Canada geese with 3 little downy goslings. It was a very windy day and the surf was crashing and there were big white caps. All of a sudden an unleashed dog came tearing onto the beach and chased the adult geese into the breaking waves. Somehow 2 of the babies made it over the breakers but the smallest one just couldn't do it. Once the owner of the dog showed up to collect it, Kelli rushed to the shoreline where the little gosling was upside down almost drowning. The family of geese were quite a ways away by then. We kept the little guy warm, hoping his parents would return. After about 20 minutes they came closer so we let the baby down on the beach and he threw himself in the surf again, trying over and over to make it out to his family. He was relentless, but had no hope. Over and over again he was washed back into the sand with the waves crashing over him. Immediately a crow moved in, and unbelievably an eagle. The geese family swam off out of sight to a small rock island in the distance that we think the nest was. There was nothing to do but take the little guy home. He would be dead in minutes if we left him on the beach - either the birds would get him, or he would drown in the breaking waves. We walked home with him, I had him in my jacket he was quite calm. We searched the internet for info and later that night we went back to the beach and found 1 goose up on the grassy area. We thought for sure that mom had returned to look for him. We put the little guy down and he immediately started eating but following Kelli. We put him closer and he ran to the goose. The goose was clearly not his parent as it nipped at it and flew away. Back home with him we went. We fed the little guy lettuce and grass and he went to sleep in my kitty crate. In the morning we let him have a swim and a drink in the sink. What a lovely little house guest - no fear and willing to follow us. We took him back to the beach very early the next morning. The ocean was calm and there was his family, back in the same spot. The other 2 babies had made it and were feeding along the shoreline. We took our little guy out of the crate and he peeped and mamma goose honked. We put him down on one end of the beach and he took off like a race car to him mom.. who ran to him as well. A lovely reunion. We watched for a while and left with the hope that this little guy would get another chance for survival. Judging by what we found on the internet we figure he was only 2 to 3 weeks old at the most. While it isn't legal to keep Canada geese, this little guy would have made a great pet.