Well, Sir Limps A Lot has flown the coop. Well, has flown BACK to the coop, back to his little parking lot island with his food and his water bowl, and back to stubbornly lying in traffic. He is in a lot off Olive and 270 by the movie theatres, in an office park, and he has an entire business company with worried employees looking out for him every day.
Wendi is the heroine who finally tracked me down after 6 weeks of looking for someone - ANYONE - to help them. Rhonna and Jeff drove up from Barnhardt early Sunday morning to assist us in the capture attempt, and there are others in this office also determined to help.
But being flighted, last Sunday Sir Limps A Lot decided that we were too much for him and he flew across Olive to the small pond at Saint John's hospital to get some peace and quiet. Finally today, he flew back.
I have a borrowed $1,700 net canister - it is not a gun, but it shoots a net out with gas cartridges - that we are next going to try to catch this widdle wiley wascal with. He needs help. His landings have improved, but this broken leg needs medical attention, and he needs to return to the safety and social networking of his communal flock, who are now avoiding him as his disability draws the attention of predators. This is bad at the best of times but worst now, since infant goslings are on the ground and defenseless to attack. If he had a mate, she would be with him, so unfortunately I infer that whatever happened to him was worse for her, and he is now companionless in the world.
Sadly, the other goose that I was involved with on Sunday (while I was learning how to operate the net launcher) was crossing Lindbergh and Olive with his family of five tiny goslings and was hit by a hit-and-run driver, and did not survive. A neighbour of mine called me while I was up North with my net launcher for Sir Limps A Lot and reported this goose at the side of the road with family. I asked him to call the police, who then set up a dialog with me and two good Samaritans who have recently moved to St. Louis.
She is from Michigan and has some wildlife rehab experience. He (sounds like Saintly Long Suffering Boyfriend, I know what those look like!) moved here this spring from California to join her. They waited two hours for help with this little guy in the back of their car (bleeding) and finally got ahold of me, and like saintly troopers, they took directions and got him to the Missouri Wildlife Rescue Center for help, where he was humanely euthanized due to the severity of his injuries. I now have a whole new patch of grey hair.
The net launcher is being loaned to me by Geese Peace St. Louis, a local chapter of a now international organization devoted to repairing the harmony between the communication of wildlife and humans occupying the same space. Geese Peace is a 501C3 not for profit organization run entirely by volunteers (myself often one of them, I was a co-founder but now run my own business, so am not involved except on a volunteer basis).
(Editor's note: Geese Peace St. Louis could not be found on the Internet, but GeesePeace was there.)
The net launcher was purchased with the personal tax refund of a retired schoolteacher specifically for cases like Sir Limps A Lot.
The Wildlife Rescue Center is always in need of donations to help the wildlife they work with.
When I was speaking with them on Monday to ask about the hit-by-car goose, they spoke with me about all the Good Samaritans that were bringing in all sorts of animals damaged by the hail storm that we had on Saturday - boy did I get some huge lumps of ice bouncing off my yard - good thing all my chookies were inside!
But anyway, stumping here, both these organizations are always in need of donations, and they need not always be monetary (although that always helps) but can also come in the form of donations of time, man (and woman) power, towels, crates, etc.
Donations to my Sir Limps A Lot police ticket are not tax deductible, but boy, I sure wish they were! There are hidden costs of rescue and volunteer work I am always surprised about, this one was a totally new one! (Read that with Grimacing Face Tone Of Voice).
Dorene, making sure that she only goes forward when the light turns green now
Dorene Olson
TARA Training and Behavior, LLC/ WyndSong Border Collies and Canada Goose Management
