Lost Goslings Reunited With Families Thanks To Rehab Center's Dedication
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- Along Colorado Highway 66 between Longmont and Lyons, Amada Manoa spends her days rehabbing all different types animals at the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
"We just go ahead and raise them or rehab them and get them back to where they belong."
This time of year they get a lot of birds, in particular goslings, "A lot of times people just find them separated from their family."
Goslings that are separated from their families isn't uncommon, especially in urban areas. Often human interference or interaction is to blame. Luckily, it's also human interaction that can get lost goslings back with a family.
"We have a watch, so on Facebook and Reddit people will let us know where they've seen geese families" says Manoa. "So we get one brought in then we can look on there and say, 'Okay, so at this lake, this lake, this lake might be close to where they came from.' So then we'll take those guys out find the mom and dad and the babies."
This is what they call a gosling adoption.
"We take the gosling over and it starts peeping and making noises and then the parents will hear it and they turn from kind of like walking away from you to like putting their heads up to look."
Greenwood depends on people keeping them updated online where they see goose families because geese move and if they suddenly find themselves with a gosling that needs a home, Amanda needs to know where she can find an adoptive family quick.
Any family of geese will take in an orphaned gosling because, well, what's good for the gosling is good for the gander.
Amada warns though that if you think you can take care of a gosling as a pet you are mistaken, "Mom does the best job. She definitely does way better than we ever could."
Amada says these adoptions almost always work. The only case where they don't is when the goose has spent too much time with human beings and has become dependent on them. So, if you find a lost gosling make sure to give Greenwood Rehabilitation Center a call right away.
Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.