Mother goose claims squatter's rights on condo balcony

Derek Zukowski was all goosed up for spring.

"Normally I like to spend a lot of time out on the deck, especially because it's getting nicer out. But I think she kind of got her own space now, so I'll have to respect that."

"She" is an ornery mother Canada Goose, who happened to choose Zukowski's balcony as the perfect spot to lay her egg, choosing a planter as the ideal spot.

Zukowski and his family live on the top floor of a sprawling Terwillegar condo complex in southwest Edmonton – a property he is now sharing with the expectant and unyielding mother.

Zukowski called several government wildlife agencies, but they all told him the same thing.  

"They basically said just to leave it and hopefully let mother nature run its course," he said.

Canada geese are protected by federal laws and tampering with their nest could end up in hefty fines, even prison.

"There isn't really a concrete plan in place to get these things to a safe environment," Zukowski said. "When it happens to you, all you want is for this animal to be safe in the end." 

One Edmonton wildlife expert said geese don't usually nest on balconies, but it's something that could become more common as cities consume more wildlands.