There’s truly nothing like a mother’s protective love, and this truth doesn’t only apply to humans.
This is the story of how a goose terrorized a neighborhood in South Jordan, Utah.
But when they found out the reason behind this protective behavior, the goose became the neighborhood’s star.
It all started with a “watch”.
Last month, a goose started to keep watch just outside John and Narelle Canaan’s home.
It wasn’t long after when they learned about the goose’s pretty aggressive behavior.
“John comes running back into the house with one shoe on, one shoe off, his hat’s out here and he’s like, ‘I just got chased by a goose!'” Narelle recalled.
The goose didn’t leave.
The goose lingered outside of their house that night and the following day.
In front of their house is a paved trail that divides residences from a lake.
The Canaans observed as the goose frightened off their innocent neighbors, including runners, walkers, and bikers.
“He was flying about 800 miles an hour directly toward my son,” John recounted. “It was like a missile.”
Becoming the “Gangsta” goose.
Over time, his violent actions earned him the moniker “Gangsta.”
When the HOA learned what was going on, they posted a notice. Consequently, the couple created their own signs to alert passersby of a “dangerous” and “insane” goose along the trail.
However, it didn’t take long for them to see that Gangsta wasn’t simply being cruel.
He was protecting something precious.
In the shrubs in their front yard, he was found to be guarding a nest.
The couple recorded a number of encounters in which Gangsta hissed and ran or flew after anyone who tried to pass.
Later on, they discovered that he disliked umbrellas.
Therefore, John frequently found himself rushing out the front door with an umbrella in hand to assist people who are attempting to get past.
“Oh, we saw people being attacked,” Narelle remarked.
John once stumbled and slipped while attempting to enter his house as the goose “attacked” him.
He banged his elbow against the floor and intends to visit the doctor to get it examined.
“And I don’t hold Gangsta liable for that,” he laughingly said.
“Yeah, we’re not going to sue him for it. It is just what it is,” his wife continued.
But something about John and Narelle’s interaction with the goose changed with time.
“As I kind of got a better feel for who he was and what he was trying to do, I just had different feelings that evolved,” John narrated.
That emotion was intensified when, five long weeks later, the eggs hatched and Gangsta was seen leading a mother duck and her 12 ducklings to the water instead of young geese.
Fear turned to love.
They didn’t know how it happened but they “love Gangsta now.”
They have completely forgiven Gangsta and a new sign that refers to him as the “insanely devoted goose” has been placed outside.
The Canaans frequently go to pay Gangsta a visit. He has stopped attacking people but is still keeping a careful check on the mother duck and her ducklings.
Additionally, in recent weeks, his reputation among neighbors has transformed. Gangsta has gained official celebrity status.
“I think we live in a world right now where it’s really pretty easy to dismiss one another and to judge each other. But I think if we’ll just take a little more time to take an extra careful look, we might—metaphorically speaking—see a goose trying to take care of a duck’s eggs,” he said.
Watch the video below to watch Gangsta protect his nest!
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