If you’ve ever witnessed the majesty of a Canadian goose flock flying into the clouds, you know that these noble birds are a force to be reckoned with. Each flock is comprised of couples who mate for life, as well as their goslings. Together, they are one large family. Apart, they are individuals with quirks and personalities, just like us. No one knows this more than my family, who raised a silly little goose we named Peeper after he was abandoned as a baby.
A new feathered family member
In 2000, when I was around seven years old, my parents, sister, brother, and I were coming back from a T-ball game. That was our usual weekend adventure, but unlike every other weekend, a surprise was waiting for us in our driveway. There, we spotted two adult geese and a small gosling. The adults were startled by our return and flew away, but their baby was still too young to fly and couldn’t follow. We are no strangers to the ways of wildlife, so we knew to avoid physical contact with the young gosling out of fear that it would imprint upon us and be lost to its family forever.
Hours passed, and night fell. With it came a deep chill and a fear of watchful predators. The tiny little thing was wandering around our yard, unaware of what could happen, and it was clear that the gosling needed protection, warmth, and sustenance to make it to the morning. At that point, we knew we had to intervene, and we brought him onto our back porch.
Courtesy Steven Lynn/SvenPhotography.com
Steven Lynn is a photographer and videographer. You can see his work on his website and on Instagram.
