A Whole Foods health store in Littleton, Colorado, is receiving praise from animal rights advocates due to recent actions which were taken to protect a mother goose and her recently laid eggs. According to WCSH, a creek is located near the health food mecca, which is why geese frequently visit the parking lot. Not long ago, two geese waddled over to the Whole Foods parking lot and hovered around a certain area. It was then that an employee noticed that one was building a nest.
Tony Named, the store’s team leader, told the press:
“We just came in one day, and we saw two geese just kind of hovered around this area. Wasn’t really sure what she was up to. She just hung out there for the first day, and noticed she was building a nest.”
One day later, it was discovered that the mother goose had laid her eggs right by the front door. Unsure of what to do, the staff called Parks and Wildlife. They were informed that the best plan of action is to leave the mother and her eggs alone, unbothered.
“They assured us that the best thing to do was just to leave her alone … and maybe put a barricade around them, and that’s what we did. Maybe she knows we’re going to take care of her,” Nemec commented.
So, the team got creative and set a barricade around the goose and her eggs. They even set up a kiddie pool full of water for her to swim in every day. Customers began to help out, as well, bringing the goose corn for her to eat.
The eggs are expected to hatch on May 5th, and the staff of the Whole Foods is prepared to assist if needed. According to the store’s team leader, the group is prepared to call animal control and/or the police in case the goose decided to cross the road with her babies. Nemec stated:
“I’m pretty excited to see the baby goose running around the parking lot. We’re hoping they’ll be safe. We have the police and animal control on call, so if she needs to cross Wadsworth with her little ones, they’ll guide her through. They’ve already agreed to that.”
According to goose experts, the mother may return to lay eggs in the very same spot again if she finds the location to be comfortable. Considering humans have worked hard to make the spot a goose oasis, it seems plausible that she might, indeed, return.
Too often, it seems, stories about humans abusing wildlife make the news rather than tales of people working together to benefit the Earth and animals in need. Do your part by sharing this news to show that compassionate humans exist, and to raise awareness about the proper protocol one should follow if they find themselves in a similar situation. What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
