The Municipal Wildlife Control Services came to the rescue of a distressed goose on Friday, much to the delight of a crowd of onlookers.
The company, which handles the City of Barrie’s Goose Management Program, was making their rounds like any other Friday.
The program, initiated in 2014, helps to clear public spaces from geese that may leave a mess and overtake areas.
The company’s owner, Michael von Kaitz, told BarrieToday that Friday was a little different, but was happy to report there was a feel-good ending, despite how bleak it looked at first.
“We had about 20 to 30 people cheering after we got the goose released, but it looked really bad when we first got there,” said von Kaitz.
Although he has helped many animals over his career, von Kaitz said this situation was quite dire and they may have intervened just in time.
“As we approached the goose, she wasn’t moving. I figured she either had West Nile or something else was stopping her from moving,” said von Kaitz. “Upon closer inspection, it was very clear that fishing line was tightly wound around her legs. There was concern for her health.”
The line was so tight that von Kaitz believed it would have eventually caused the leg to come off and/or killed the goose.
“It took us about 15 minutes to get her untangled, but it is a funny thing with animals. She looked at us and didn't move, almost telling us to do what we had to do to help her,” said von Kaitz.
The incident happened underneath the shadow of the Spirit Catcher, which made the ending even more special for everyone watching.
“After taking some time to get the circulation back in her legs, she met up with her mate and they flew off together,” said von Kaitz. “It made for a great end to the week and we’re happy we were able to be a part of it.”