Canada goose in Burlington recovers after being shot with arrow
Surgery at Toronto Wildlife Centre saves goose that carried arrow for 4-6 weeks
Animal Control officers and citizens in Burlington had been looking for the bird for a week after it was first spotted with the arrow sticking out of its back.Burlington Animal Control finally caught the goose Sunday after it was spotted by a concerned citizen at Paletta Lakefront Park.
"It's amazing the arrow didn't do more damage than it did," said Nathalie Karvonen, executive director of the wildlife centre. She estimated the bird had been carrying it for four to six weeks.
The citizen had noticed the injured goose the previous weekend and reported it to Animal Control, but they were unable to capture it at that time.
On Sunday, the citizen returned to the park, and with the help of officer Matt Allott was able to capture the bird.
The goose was transferred to Toronto Wildlife Centre, where it had surgery to remove the arrow on Monday.
Karvonen says that most of the cases they see are a result of urbanization. She encourages people to be on the lookout for wildlife that need help instead of "letting nature take its course."
The incident has been reported to police as an act of illegal handling of a firearm.