An unlucky Canada goose experienced a rather nightmarish scenario last week, becoming frozen to the ground on the shore of Lake Ontario. The goose was found in Humber Bay Park, firmly glued to the ground by ice — an experience anyone who’s ever gotten their tongue stuck to a frozen surface can probably imagine all too clearly.
Fortunately, rescuers from the Toronto Wildlife Centre showed up with what everyone who’s ever licked a frozen fence pole knows is the only solution: warm water. The team first secured the goose beneath a net, then administered the water until they were able to get it free without breaking any feathers.
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Once the bird was unstuck, its rescuers transported it to the Wildlife Centre’s hospital, where its wounds were treated. Curiously, X-rays found the goose’s body also contained a number of gun pellets, though they may have been there previous to her icy predicament and were found not to be causing her any harm.
Since her harrowing ordeal, the goose has been recovering at the Wildlife Centre, where she has a spacious enclosure and gets to swim in a (non-freezing!) pool. When she’s fully recovered, she should be returned to her natural habitat.
While we recently noted that geese aren’t exactly the most polite or friendly of animals, they’re nevertheless beloved by many, and an emblem of our country. And as it turns out, this particular goose may be a symbol of the most Canadian experience of all: just barely managing to survive whatever winter throws at us.
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