This goose was found on the ground in Arlington. The homeowner said that it appeared unable to fly, and they saw it there for 3 days. One of our interns went to rescue the goose and brought her back to the center.
She has pneumonia, but there are no signs of trauma. No fractures were seen on x-ray, which is good news! She is being treated for the respiratory issues.
If she does respond well to treatment and can recover, she will likely become our surrogate for this upcoming baby season. It is important that goslings are raised by adult geese. Each year we find a suitable candidate to act as a surrogate to our goslings, or we find a flock to adopt the goslings. The photo below shows one of our past surrogates raising some young goslings that were orphaned.
PLEASE do NOT attempt to unite orphaned geese yourself. It is also important to note that mallards DO NOT make good surrogates. A mother duck will kill babies that are not her own, geese are different - we like to say that geese can't count! If you do find any orphaned goslings or ducklings this spring, please take them to a rehabilitation facility for assessment and care.
Status - released.