You might not think much about the lives of the geese at your local park, but these animals have some pretty fascinating traits.
While you might see ducks roaming around on their own, geese are very loyal.
They mate for life, and they’re very protective of their partners and chicks.
When a goose’s mate dies, it even spends some time mourning in seclusion. It’s common for geese to never mate again in this instance, living the rest of their lives as widows.
Many geese will refuse to leave the side of their sick partner.
The goose in this adorable video is no different.
Arnold the goose was taken to a veterinary clinic owned by the New England Wildlife Centers. He had a professional examination, and it was determined that he would need emergency surgery.
So far, so normal – if not a little distressing for poor Arnold.
But as vets prepared Arnold for his surgery, they noticed something too sweet not to share.
The room that Arnold was being anesthetized in had a glass door – and, on the other side, Arnold’s mate had shown up.
The concerned goose was tapping on the door with her beak, almost as if she was asking to come inside.
A vet opened the door and had a slightly comical conversation with Arnold’s mate:
“Ma’am, don’t worry. We’re going to do everything we can.”
Zak Mertz, the clinic’s executive director, said that this occasion was the first time another animal had tried to visit a patient in care.
Vets at the clinic have seen Arnold and his partner in the lake behind the facility.
The pair are always together – but one day, staff noticed that Arnold was walking with a limp. He was stumbling and even falling over on occasions, and Zak knew they needed to take him in for treatment.
He said:
“Being that he chose to live in the backyard of a wildlife hospital, we thought we would take the opportunity to try and catch him and do a veterinary exam.”
Zak and another employee headed out on their rescue mission, and with “a bit of effort”, they managed to catch the goose in a towel.
It turned out Arnold had 2 open fractures on his foot that had to be operated on immediately.
But as they were getting ready to sedate him, his mate showed up on the porch, looking very agitated.
Staff explained to the concerned goose that right now, her partner was in surgery, but she was probably wondering what on earth was going on.
As Arnold came around after surgery, his surgeons placed him by the door, where his mate was still waiting.
Staff opened the door, and Arnold’s mate came inside. The pair shared a meal together, but for now, Arnold will need to stay inside while his foot heals.
Vets hope that Arnold’s mate will stick around until he’s feeling well enough to leave.
Have you ever heard a more adorable love story?
See the proof of their precious love story in the video below!
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