Fond farewell for feathered friend
They carried him in a tiny coffin to the grave beside his cross-species male life partner, while a kilted bagpiper played a mournful song.
The mayor spoke words of comfort.
Ka¯ piti Coast’s blind and bisexual goose, Thomas, was laid to rest during a public ceremony at the weekend, marking the end of a life spent delighting residents and bird lovers.
The popular goose was buried next to his partner of nearly 30 years, a black swan named Henry, on the edge of the Waikanae lagoon the pair called home north of Wellington.
Attendee Sue Lusk, of Waikanae, said about 60 people went to the funeral, which included a bagpiper leading the procession, and a speech by Ka¯ piti Coast Mayor K Gurunathan.
She said a tiny field mouse popped out of the ground as people gathered to drop spadefuls of earth on Thomas’ grave.
‘‘You had this nice feeling of – without being too stupid – the continuation of life. It was lovely.’’
Lusk said a friend had been sceptical about the funeral, asking whether there weren’t more important issues in the world than holding a funeral for a goose.
‘‘This was just very special, and it brought the community together, and it was a lovely story of good things.’’
After 18 happy gay years together, Thomas and Henry were disrupted with the arrival of Henrietta, who shacked up and had cygnets with Henry.
However, the trio stayed together, with the swans raising 68 cygnets and Thomas playing the role of doting uncle.
Henry died in 2009 and Thomas, with failing eyesight, was rehomed to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust in 2013, where he spent his final years eating corn and raising orphaned cygnets.
A headstone would be added to the grave to mark Thomas’ life.
He was believed to be 38 when he died.