DucksGeeseHeart
Chirping
- Jul 27, 2021
- 48
- 96
- 71
A seven-week-old Canadian Goose that hatched on my property has turned up with fishing line in a loose noose around it's neck, twisted once and then apparently looped around it's lower beak. As a result he is unable to stretch his head all the way straight upright, the way they do when drinking water. The looped line holds his beak at a downward angle.
It took me until late evening today to get a good look at the line and figure out what was happening. I was somewhat relieved to see he was able to eat normally, so decided I could leave him overnight. (He's part of a wild brood, semi-tame; they come up to me when they see me, and let me stay very close, but will move away if I move too much or too quickly toward them).
I'm now really worrying about the drinking part. He *may* be able to get some water from dipping his beak in and not raising his head all the way vertical. I thought I saw a sibling or two who dipped this way. Almost always, however, they follow the move with the vertically raised head.
I just looked up how long a bird can live without drinking water and the answer is 2 days. I'm really worrying about the little guy again. And not sure what to do? There's a wildlife center not far from me, but whether or not I enlist their help, I believe it will still need to be me that somehow separates the gosling from his family (I'm thinking a simple calm herding technique - separate and corral in some kind of corner?). Once the goose is restrained, or constrained somehow, I believe a quick snip of the central bit of line will solve the problem.
I feel seriously unconfident I will be able to accomplish this, but now feel I must! I don't want to traumatize the gosling or his family. But also don't want him to die! He is clearly uncomfortable at times; I can see it's whenever he tries to lift his beak above it's forced downward angle, when standing or walking. He will go into what look like spasms, as if he's fighting with something - well he is, I now realize - it's the fishing line.
I feel like tomorrow morning (it's night here now) I need to do something.
I was told there was a goose who was injured here before, that time by a dog, and was captured and taken to the wildlife center. That was more of a no-brainer though, and the bird was easily picked up since it was injured. And after he'd been mended with surgery and attempted return to his family, they did not accept him back. The center took him back and to a farm to bond with other orphaned goslings.
I'd hate for this to happen to this guy - it's one reason I'd rather try to keep him on property where his family is, handle the bird myself somehow. He's not very little at 7 weeks, but when I move slowly around them they let me stay close. I'd need a very good plan though. Ach ... I'm just afraid it will be a rodeo.
Do any of y'all have ideas, or have handled a similar situation?
It took me until late evening today to get a good look at the line and figure out what was happening. I was somewhat relieved to see he was able to eat normally, so decided I could leave him overnight. (He's part of a wild brood, semi-tame; they come up to me when they see me, and let me stay very close, but will move away if I move too much or too quickly toward them).
I'm now really worrying about the drinking part. He *may* be able to get some water from dipping his beak in and not raising his head all the way vertical. I thought I saw a sibling or two who dipped this way. Almost always, however, they follow the move with the vertically raised head.
I just looked up how long a bird can live without drinking water and the answer is 2 days. I'm really worrying about the little guy again. And not sure what to do? There's a wildlife center not far from me, but whether or not I enlist their help, I believe it will still need to be me that somehow separates the gosling from his family (I'm thinking a simple calm herding technique - separate and corral in some kind of corner?). Once the goose is restrained, or constrained somehow, I believe a quick snip of the central bit of line will solve the problem.
I feel seriously unconfident I will be able to accomplish this, but now feel I must! I don't want to traumatize the gosling or his family. But also don't want him to die! He is clearly uncomfortable at times; I can see it's whenever he tries to lift his beak above it's forced downward angle, when standing or walking. He will go into what look like spasms, as if he's fighting with something - well he is, I now realize - it's the fishing line.
I feel like tomorrow morning (it's night here now) I need to do something.
I was told there was a goose who was injured here before, that time by a dog, and was captured and taken to the wildlife center. That was more of a no-brainer though, and the bird was easily picked up since it was injured. And after he'd been mended with surgery and attempted return to his family, they did not accept him back. The center took him back and to a farm to bond with other orphaned goslings.
I'd hate for this to happen to this guy - it's one reason I'd rather try to keep him on property where his family is, handle the bird myself somehow. He's not very little at 7 weeks, but when I move slowly around them they let me stay close. I'd need a very good plan though. Ach ... I'm just afraid it will be a rodeo.
Do any of y'all have ideas, or have handled a similar situation?