One Woman’s Goose Encounter Horrified Her, And It’s Happening ‘More And More’
Next time a goose rushes past you or approaches, you may want to pay a little closer attention.
That’s because the odds are growing that you could end up discovering what one Sandy Springs, Georgia, woman did on her walk through a cemetery.
Meg Harrison was visiting Arlington Memorial Cemetery in Sandy Springs this week when she was approached by a goose that appeared “off.” After a double-take, she realized that someone had taken a dart and stabbed the poor animal through its head.
Harrison alerted authorities at once, and “Gilbert the Goose” was taken into the care of the AWARE Wildlife Center, which began a plan for rehabbing the poor thing.
While the initial WSB-TV report did not indicate whether Gilbert would be okay, Huffington Post has since done a follow-up with the wildlife center, confirming that the goose is out of the woods as far as life-and-death is concerned.
However, the news site also highlighted a disturbing trend that wildlife officials admit they are seeing “more and more.”
Goose torture.
According to HuffPo, recent attacks have included a goose in Cobb County, Georgia, that had its head pierced with an arrow, and another in New York where a goose was found “with an arrow through its neck.”
David Stanley, in comments to the Brooklyn Paper, noted that the goose had “never bothered anybody” and that the perpetrator “must have been a stupid kid.”
In the case of Gilbert the Goose, authorities are still on the lookout for suspect(s). While it could be difficult finding the person or persons responsible, the public has already expressed an interest online.
Reactions have run the gamut from horror to puzzlement.
“I am torn between the horror of someone shooting a goose with an arrow, and awe at the marksmanship of the perpetrator,” said one commenter. “Can’t be easy to hit a target only an inch or two wide!”
“Taking a crossbow outdoors and using it with the intent to harm is a crime,” said another. “There may be many more arrows in the lake. The use of a deadly weapon on any creature is not to be admired.”
“Target is one h*** of a goose,” said a third. “Keep up the good fight.”
Do you think that whoever attacked Gilbert the Goose intended for this to happen or was it an accidental shot? What should happen to people who intentionally harm an animal in such a way? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
