Goslings born in winter now in foster care so their mate-for-life parents can stay together
Rescue organization made a tough decision when only one goose parent was captured
Two goslings that hatched at an unprecedented time of year in London, Ont., have survived and are being raised without their parents at an animal rescue sanctuary.
Five babies were born in December near University Hospital during unseasonably warm weather, indicating the eggs were laid the month before.
"It's a weird phenomenon. There was lots of grass. Lots to eat. It was warm," said Brian Salt, the director of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. "But slowly, predators started to step into the picture. There were five, then four, and we realized the last two wouldn't survive."
Salt said the hope was to bring the goslings and their parents to the shelter so they could stay together as a family. But the rescue team had to make a tough decision.
"We could only catch one parent," Salt explained. "And we know that Canada Geese mate for life, and we didn't want to break that pair up. So we decided to foster the babies so they could stay together."
Salt describes Canada Geese as being caring and expressive, and when a partner dies, they mourn. He believes this pair was young and won't have any trouble having mating again in the spring.
In the meantime, he says the two goslings are gaining weight, though they're currently about the size of a one week old.
He says they'll be kept indoors until they grow the feathers needed to survive winter temperatures. He adds they'll also stop having contact with humans once they're able to feed themselves, as they will be released back into the wild.
"In the beginning, they're being hand fed, so their tendency is to be with humans. We want them to be normal geese one day, and we don't want them to have an affinity to humans," Salt said.
