Courage of Humans and Geese - Five Geese Spared the Executioner's Song

 "When all reason is lost, courage must prevail," I wrote in comment yesterday to the below article.

 

Honeymoon Lake goose-nappers grab gaggle before executioners can - South Whidb (Please post and share this story far and wide!)

 

Courage indeed was displayed on Honeymoon Lake in Washington state when 15 brave human souls took it on themselves to save a family of five geese (two parents and three goslings) who were otherwise doomed to soon be captured and gassed by the USDA "Wildlife Services."

 

Residents of this upscale community, still horrified over the shootings of 19 geese last year at the lake attempted reasoning and even petitioning to stop another massacre.

 

But, as too often is the reality in instances like these, their pleas fell on deaf ears of community board members, bureaucracy and the USDA.

 

Apparently, this location has zero tolerance for any geese.

 

And so, with all reason lost, what appears precedent was established:  

 

Brave people, with obvious plan, set out in the dark of night to net and capture the geese in order to send them to safe sanctuary.

 

(The USDA thugs will have to take their bloody business elsewhere.)

 

Because their actions challenged both authority and "plan," the goose rescuers took on significant risk. Details are sketchy, but it is known that they were successful in capturing the family of five geese. Apparently, two other geese had already fled the scene.

 

While there are many unusual and fascinating components of this story, one of the things overlooked by the very fine reporter, is that the parent geese did not flee what must have been to them a terrifying, life threatening event. (People approaching with nets, flashlights, capturing and placing into dog carriers.) 

 

That would have meant abandoning their flightless goslings.

 

Because, contrary to what was reported, geese are not yet molting and flightless. (Geese generally begin the molting process from about mid June through July.)

 

And so, courage was not only on display from the humans taking risks to save a family of geese, but also from the geese themselves who apparently would rather face death than abandon their babies.

 

It would have been so easy for the parent geese to excape danger and threat with the other two adult geese.

 

If I sound like an "anthropomorphic, know it all" in stating the above, its not because of information read or even goose behavior observed over the past several years.

 

I know geese can still fly because 8 new geese suddenly flew into Harlem Meer last night!  (The photo at the top of this entry is one of them.) 

 

The parent geese at Honeymoon Lake could have also flown when approached by people with nets, carriers and flashlights.  

 

But, instead, they chose to stay with their goslings and face the unknown.

 

Amazing bravery of both humans and geese and a story deserving of national attention.

 

That only these 15 gutsy people could come to New York City and help us save the couple of thousand geese (and their babies) on USDA's chopping block.

 

Unfortunately, the bloody business of the USDA "Wildlife Services" is soon to hit our fair city when the hapless geese are actually flightless and helpless for any kind of escape on their own. 

 

I fear for the new brave souls flying into NYC parks right now for what they think is "safety" through the molt. -- PCA

 

 

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